Pokemon: Shining Road
by LightRealm
Summary: Davin is a boy from a place called the Varex region, where his first Pokemon journey will take place. Follow him and his Pokemon as they take on rivals, gym leaders, and other obstacles to get to the Varex League championship! (This story was originally written from 2/12/2010 to 10/08/2010)
1. Chapter 1 - A Bark Worst Than Bite

"Hmm..." A boy said, curiously. He was hiding in the bushes as he watched two Poliwag playing in a pond

"This is interesting." He said. Suddenly, he snapped a twig with his foot, which startled the Poliwag and made them run away.

"Aww, man! There are too many stupid sticks around here!" He sighed and headed back for home.

His name was Davin. Like most trainers-to-be, he enjoys watching Pokemon frolic and play. But sometimes, he would scare them away by making sounds.

As he walked, he couldn't help but feel that he was forgetting something.

"I wonder what I'm forgetting." He thought. Suddenly, he heard a beeping sound from the Poketch he received from his mom. He checked the time and gasped. "Oh, man! How could I forget about THAT!" His walking turned into high-speed running. "I hope it's not too late!"

* * *

About 4 minutes later, he stopped at a laboratory that was white and had a giant Pokeball on top of it. He opened the door and peeked inside to see a woman typing on her computer. "Hey, Prof. Cypress." Davin said as he closed the door behind him.

She looked up from her computer. "Oh. Glad you're here, Davin."

"So... are there still some Pokemon left?" He asked hopefully.

The Professor nodded. "Yep. Only 2 left." She led him to a table where the Pokeballs sat. "One was taken earlier by a young boy."

Davin's face turned from happy to annoyed. "Was it _him_?" The Professor nodded. "Man!" He stomped his foot.

The professor chuckled. "Your rivalry with Jett is so cute."

"It is not! It's horrible!" Jett and Davin have been rivals since they were 7 years old. Jett has a bit of A bragging streak and seems to always outdo Davin at everything. He is also Professor Cypress' nephew.

"So which one do you want?" She asked, getting back on subject. "The Pokemon that are left are Piplup and Treecko."

"_Guess that means Jett got the Fire type._" Davin thought. He held his chin as he thought about his decision. "_If I had a Water type, I could totally beat Jett's Fire Pokemon easily._" He turned his gaze to the Pokeball on the right. "_But then again, I want to show Jett that I can beat him without taking shortcuts._"

After 5 seconds, his decision was made. He picked up the Pokeball on the right. "I choose Treecko."

"Excellent choice." The Professor said. Davin opened the Pokeball and the Wood Gecko Pokemon appeared in front of him.

He kneeled down to meet it at eye level. "Hi. My name's Davin. Nice to meet you." Treecko turned away from him in disgust. "Wha-? What's the problem?"

"Oh, dear." Prof. Cypress said. "I forgot to mention that this Treecko is a bit cruel and it dosen't like humans that much."

Davin stared at Treecko for a moment. "Well, I still want it." Treecko opened one eye with surprise.

"Are you sure? Pokemon like that are hard to handle." She warned.

Davin nodded. "I'm sure once we get to know each other, we'll be great friends. Right, Treecko?" Treecko closed it's eye and ignored him. "Maybe you'd be less crucial if you had a nickname." Davin thought for a minute and came up with something. "All right! From now on, your name is Bark!"

The professor was clueless. "Bark?"

Davin nodded. "Yeah. Like the bark of a tree. It's so stubborn that it can't be moved easily."

"Oh." She said, getting the idea. "That seems to fit perfect for it."

Davin returned Treecko to it's Pokeball and the professor gave him 6 Pokeballs. "Use these to catch Pokemon while on your journey."

"Thanks." Davin took them and stuffed him in his pocket, as well as Treecko's Pokeball.

"Good luck on your journey." She said.

"I'll do my best." He said. With that, he ran out of the laboratory and headed out of Blazehill Town.


	2. Chapter 2 - Perilous Pidgeotto

Davin was now on the road and was headed for the first gym. He checked the map that was installed on his Poketch. "The closest gym from here is Priheart City." He smiled. "Perfect! My quest to the Varex League starts there!"

When Davin reached a clearing in the path, he had an idea."Bark, come on out!" He threw the Pokeball in the air and Bark appeared with his eyes closed and his arms folded. "Bark, why don't we start to get to know each other better?" He suggested.

"Cko!" Bark scoffed.

"Oh, come on. How are we supposed to be friends if I don't know anything about you?" Bark ignored him and climbed up a tree, where he sat on a branch. "Maybe the professor was right. Maybe I can't handle Bark..." He shook his head. "Nah, that's silly. All we need is to take our time and we'll get along great!"

Davin stared up at Bark, who was gazing at the sky. "You know, you can't stay up there forever." Bark turned his gaze to him for two seconds and went back to staring at the clouds. Davin sighed. "What am I gonna do?"

Just then, Bark was attacked by something that came out of nowhere. He fell to the ground and immediately got back up to see that it was a Pidgeotto. The Flying type Pokemon hovered in the air in front of it.

Davin could see how angry Bark was and got an idea. "Maybe if we battle together, our bond would increase!" He pointed his finger toward the Pidgeotto. "Bark, use Pound!" Bark charged into Pidgeotto in a quick second. "Hold on. That was Quick Attack. I told you to use Pound!"

Pidgeotto flew high into the air and dove down at high speed.

"It's going to use Aerial Ace! Bark, dodge it!"

Bark didn't move a muscle. "Bark! What is wrong with you?!" Pidgeotto slammed into Bark and it was knocked into a tree. "Bark, if you want to beat that Pidgeotto, you're going to have to listen to me!"

Bark ignored him and shot a red beam out of its mouth that hit Pidgeotto.

"That's Absorb." Davin noted. Pidgeotto struggled to break lose, but it was too strong. Eventually, the beam deceased and Pidgeotto fell to the ground. The Treecko smiled to itself in satisfaction. "I wouldn't get too proud." Davin warned.

Pidgeotto got back up and used Wing Attack to knock Bark into another tree. Bark still wanted to fight, but it couldn't find the strength to stand.

"This isn't good." Pidgeotto flew into the air and started flapping its wings to create a strong wind. "Bark, get out of there!"

It was too late. The wind hit Bark and it sent it flying off into the distance.

"Bark!" Davin yelled in worry. He ran into the woods to find it as the Pidgeotto flew away.


	3. Chapter 3 - A Bond By Injury

Davin pushed through the bushes and searched from the trees to find Bark, but he was nowhere to be found. "Oh no. This isn't good. Where could it be?"

Right then, he heard what sounded like groaning. "Bark?"

He ran towards the direction he heard it from and saw Bark lying on the ground in pain.

"Oh no!" He ran to Bark's side. "Are you okay?"

"Tree...cko..." It replied, weakly.

Davin picked it up slowly. "I've got to get you to a Pokemon center." He checked his Poketch to see where the nearest one was and he gasped. "The Pokemon center closet to here is 20 miles away. Looking at it's condition, I don't think it can make it that long."

He stared at the injured Treecko and sighed. "I guess... I'll have to do it myself."

* * *

3 hours later, Davin had made a bed for Bark out of leaves and was crunching up some Oran berries he had found. He had wrapped its wounds in bandages from his first-aid kit.

Bark opened its eyes slowly to see Davin holding a spoon of crushed berries to its mouth. "Bark, eat this. It'll help you get better."

Bark turned his head away. "Bark, come on! If you want to get better, you have to eat it."

Bark stared at Davin for a few seconds and eventually opened its mouth. Davin smiled and put the spoon in and it slowly began to chew.

"You'll feel better in no time. I'll go get some more berries." Davin got up and ran to find some.

* * *

2 minutes after he left, Bark sat up and looked at the night sky. It then turned its gaze to its bandages. When it stared at them, Bark thought about Davin; it had ignored him this entire time and didn't do anything he said and yet... he was taking care of it like none of that had happened.

Bark took a last, long look at the bandages before laying down and falling to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, the sun rose brightly as it filled the entire forest with light.

Bark opened its eyes sleepily and covered his gaze from the sun. When it turned to its right, it saw Davin sleeping next to it. Bark shook him lighlty, waking up the boy from his slumber.

"Bark..." He said, still half asleep. After a second, his eyes brightened. "You're all better!"

"Treecko, Treecko." It nodded.

"That's a relief." he said as he sat up. "I was really worried about you. I was afraid you weren't going to make it."

When Bark heard those words, it was surprised. The boy really _did_ care about it.

Just then, the mood was broken by something that flew in front of them. "What was that?"

"Pidgeo, Pidgeo." Davin recognized that cry and saw that it was a Pidgeotto.

"I think that's the same one you fought before, Bark." He noted to the Grass type.

"Treecko!" It said angrily.

"I see... You want revenge, don't you?"

"Cko!" It nodded.

Davin smiled. He removed Bark's bandages and it leaped out in front of him. "All right, Bark! Let's do this!"

Pidgeotto flew into the air and dived. "Bark! Dodge and use Quick Attack!" Bark leapt into the air at the last second and redirected itself to hit Pidgeotto. The boy was shocked. "Wow! Bark's... listening to me!"

Pidgeotto flapped its wings rapidly to create a Gust attack. "Bark, stand your ground!" It shielded itself as the winds blew through it.

Pidgeotto striked it with a Wing Attack and it was headed for a tree. "Bark, use your tail as a spring and bounce back!"

It did exactly as it was told and slammed into Pidgeotto at full force. "Yeah! That's the way! Now let's finish this with a Pound attack!"

Bark smacked its tail against Pidgeotto, which caused the bird Pokemo to faint.

"All right! Way to go,Bark!" Davin cheered.

"Treecko." It said cooly.

* * *

After the battle, Davin congratulated Bark. "You were awesome! I still can't believe that you took my orders. I thought you didn't like me."

Bark shrugged. "Treecko, Tree"

Davin smiled. "Well, I don't know what convinced you, but I'm sure glad it worked. Now that were friends, we can achieve big things." He pointed to the west. "You ready to take on the Priheart Gym?"

"Treecko!" It said with motivation.

"All right, then. Off we go!"


	4. Chapter 4 - A Ground-Shaking Experience

Davin was resting under a tree with Bark at his side. "Isn't this relaxing, Bark?"

"Treecko." It agreed.

Davin sighed with contentment. "The atmosphere feels so good. This is definitely the best spot to take a rest."

Right then, both of them felt the ground shake. "What the-?" A crack opened in the ground where they were sitting and the whole tree snapped in half, making Davin and Bark move out of the way before they were hit. "That's strange. Why would the tree break in half all of a sudden? Is that even possible?"

"Treecko, Treecko!" Bark shouted as it pointed at the bushes. A small blue elephant Pokemon jumped out.

"Cool! It's a Phanpy!" Davin turned to the tree and then to Phanpy. "So did you do this?"

"Phan!" It nodded.

"Well, why'd you do that?" The Phanpy gave a menacing glance as it lowered its body to the ground. "You want to battle? Is that it?" Its answer was rolling into a ball and charging towards Bark. "I'll take that as a yes. Bark, use Pound!"

Bark leapt into the air and aimed at Phanpy with its tail, but Phanpy was going so fast that Bark was hit right when it was about to strike.

"Whoa." Davin said, impressed. "That Phanpy's pretty good. Bark, use Absorb!"

Bark fired its beam, but Phanpy jumped out of the way. Its trunk started to glow and it slammed the ground with it, making the surface crack.

"That's Rock Smash." Davin noted. "Phanpy must've used that move to break the tree."

Bark jumped into the air, avoiding the attack. "Bark, Quick Attack!" Dashing at high speed, Bark finally landed a hit. "Yeah! Now use Absorb!" Bark's attack stunned Phanpy as it absorbed its energy.

"Now finish it off with Pound!" Bark slammed its tail directly on Phanpy's head, causing it to fall to its side.

Davin took out a Pokeball. "Now's my chance. Go, Pokeball!"

The Pokeball made contact, pulling the blue Pokemon inside as it opened. The ball shook back and forth with its button glowing red.

Davin clenched his fists together, hoping that it would stay still; Bark stared at it with the same feeling.

To their joy, the button stopped glowing and the Pokeball stood still.

"Yes! We did it!" Davin cheered. He picked up the Pokeball and held it in the air. "I caught a Phanpy!"

"Tree, Treecko!" Bark cheered along with him.

"Awesome! I caught my first Pokemon." He threw the Pokeball in the air and Phanpy came out in a flash of light. "Phanpy, from here on, you're a part of our team."

"Phanpy!"It smiled.

"I think I'll call you... Quake."

Bark cocked its head. "Treecko?"

"You know how it broke the tree in half with its Rock Smash? Well, that felt like an earthquake, didn't it? That's why I'm calling it Quake for short." He stood to his feet. "Bark? Quake? Are you ready for some action?"

"Treecko!/Phanpy!" Bark pumped its fist into the air as Quake pumped its trunk.

"Then let's go! Onward to Priheart City!"


	5. Chapter 5 - Vs Aisu

Davin could hardly contain himself. After all that walking, he finally made it to Priheart City. "It's time! Time to earn my first badge!"

He opened the door to the gym, but it was dark when he got in. "That's odd. Why is it so dark? I didn't see a 'Gym leader was out' sign anywhere."

To his surprise, a voice said, "Welcome." and the lights came on, revealing a battlefield that was covered in ice. "Whoa." Davin said, the glamour of the sight amazing him.

"Welcome to the Priheart Gym." A man said. "My name's Aisu, and I am the Priheart gym leader."

"Nice to meet you. My name's Davin." He rubbed the back of his head. "You really had me going for a moment. I thought no one was here."

Aisu chuckled. "Well, I like to surprise my challengers. It just makes things interesting." Both of them stepped on to the opposite sides of the field. "Ready for battle?"

"Yep. I'm ready to go!"

The referee came to the field. "The battle between the Gym Leader, Aisu, and the challenger, Davin, will now begin! This match will be a 2-on-2 battle! Each trainer will use two Pokemon each and only the challenger is allowed substitution." He raised his flags. "Begin!"

Aisu threw his Pokeball. "Go, Glalie!"

"Glalie!" The Face Pokemon shouted.

"I figured he'd use an Ice type." Davin threw his Pokeball. "Let's go, Quake!"

"Phanpy!" It said as it appeared.

Aisu was a bit surprised. "A Ground type against an Ice type? Are you sure?"

"Positive. Quake can take on Glalie with no problem!" Davin smiled.

Aisu smirked. "Glalie, use Blizzard!" It released a high powered snowstorm from its mouth that caused Quake to be pushed back.

"That's one powerful Blizzard. Quake, use Rollout!" The Phanpy managed to make itself sturdy and it curled into a ball, rolling forward after it did.

"Gyro Ball!" Glalie charged with its head pointed in front and it started to spin rapidly. Both Pokemon collided with each other, but since Glalie was stronger, it knocked Quake backwards.

"Use Rock Smash!"

"Dodge and use Blizzard!"

Glalie hovered itself higher, avoiding the attack, and released another blizzard from its mouth. This time, instead of being blown back, Quake flew into the air and crashed into an ice boulder.

"Quake!" Davin screamed, seeing the elephant unconscious.

The ref raised his right flag. "Phanpy is unable to battle! Glalie wins!"

"Looks like your lack of judgement led to your downfall." Aisu said.

"Return, Quake!" It disappeared inside its Pokeball. "I'm not giving up that easy! Bark, show 'em what you got!"

"Treecko!" The gecko cried upon its appearance.

"Glalie, Blizzard!"

"Bark, leap into the air using Quick Attack!"

It followed Davin's orders and dodged Glalie's attack. "Use Absorb!" Glalie's energy was stolen away, but it seemed like it didn't do much damage. "What?!"

"Your feeble attack won't hurt Glalie one bit! Use Gyro Ball!" It landed a hit and Bark was sent flying into an ice boulder.

"Bark, are you okay?" It stood to its feet, but it was a bit weakened. "This isn't good. That Glalie's too strong. One more hit and that'll end it!"

"Let's finish this with Sheer Cold!"

"OH NO!" Glalie's body glowed light blue and it released a high power energy wave. "Bark! Get out of there!" The Treecko was hit by its immensive power and it fainted instantly.

The ref raised his flag. "Treecko is unable to battle! Glalie wins! The victor is the Gym Leader, Aisu!"

"What...? I... I don't believe this! How could I lose?"

Aisu recalled his Glalie. "You lost because you were incompetent. You thought your Pokemon would win no matter what the disadvantage was, but you didn't think about how strong Glalie was and how your Pokemon's moves would defeat it."

"But I... I..." Davin sighed and returned Bark. "This wasn't supposed to happen... I thought... I thought..."

He ran out of the gym in embarrassment without finishing his sentence.


	6. Chapter 6 - Can You Beat The Heat?

After Davin took his Pokemon to the Pokemon Center, he strolled through the streets of Priheart City. "I don't believe it. How am I supposed to beat that guy?" He thought. "What does he have that I don't?"

He sat down on a nearby bench and looked at his Pokeballs. "Both Bark and Quake are weak against Ice types. If I go back, they'll just get defeated again." He sighed and put his Pokeballs back. "I guess... I'm just going to have to go to the next gym. If I'm lucky, maybe that gym leader will use Pokemon with a type disadvantage against mine." He stood up from the bench and headed towards the next route.

* * *

As he walked, Davin's gym lost kept popping into his head. "Aggh! Why can't I stop thinking about it?!" He yelled as he stopped walking. "I've just GOT to beat Aisu! If I don't, this lost is gonna haunt me forever."

"Hmph. Why am I not surprised?" Davin looked up and saw a boy with shaggy bleached hair and blue eyes, wearing an orange shirt and black cargo pants, coming up to him.

Davin recognized him. "Jett? What are you doing here?!"

"Well, I was heading back to Priheart City because I left something back at the Pokemon Center."

Davin looked surprised. "Does that mean... you beat the gym leader?!"

"Yep." Jett dug in his pocket and pulled out a dark blue badge that was shaped like a crescent moon. "It's called a Mist Badge."

Davin looked annoyed. "Figures you'd win. You chose a Fire type as your first Pokemon."

Jett put his badge back. "Don't be jealous, Davy. Not everyone can be as good a trainer as I am."

Now Davin was _really_ annoyed. "What are you talking about? We both just started like 5 days ago!"

"Yeah, but I'm gonna be the best trainer ever, and you're just gonna be left behind like you've always been."

It was _on_ now. "Well then, prove it! Let's battle! Right here, right now!"

"Heh. Predictable as usual. You got yourself a deal!"

* * *

The boys were now standing 6 feet away from each other.

"Hope you packed some tissues for when I beat you." Jett said, holding a Pokeball.

"Like I'll need 'em!" Davin said, holding his own Pokeball. "I choose you, Bark!"

"Treecko!" It said.

Jett looked surprised. "Bark? You nickname your Pokemon?"

"Of course. I find it better if they were called by nicknames instead of their own names."

Jett stifled a laugh. "How immature. Davin, they're not pets."

"Just shut up and let's get this started!"

Jett smirked. "Fine. Let's go, Cyndaquil!"

"Cyndaquil." It squeaked as it emerged from the Pokeball.

"So the Fire Pokemon you got was a Cyndaquil?"

"Jealous?"

"Not one bit!" Davin pointed forward. "Bark, use Quick Attack!"

"Cyndaquil, you use Quick Attack as well!"

Both collided with each other, making it a draw.

"Cyndaquil, Ember!"

"Dodge it!" Bark did as commanded, jumping over the bullets of flame. "Now use Pound!" Bark struck Cyndaquil on the side of its face. "How'd you like that, Jett?"

"Not bad. But here's something better! Cyndaquil, use Flame Wheel!" Cyndaquil engulfed itself in fire and tackled Bark while it spun like a wheel.

Davin gasped. "What strength it has!"

"Now use Hidden Power!" Cyndaquil tightened its body as it glowed gold and whitish-green circles surrounded it in an X formation. It then let out a cry and the circles bombarded Bark, one by one.

"Bark, are you okay?" It got back up with an angry look. "Hah! It's gonna take more than that to beat my Treecko!"

"Well then, this oughta do it." Jett snapped his fingers. "Overheat!"

"SAY WHAT?!"

Cyndaquil's body turned a faint red and it released a powerful white flame that had a red-orange flame spiraling around it. Bark was hit and its entire body was burned entirely.

"Bark, no!" It fell to the ground and fainted.

The bleached haired boy laughed. "Jett: 1, Davy: 0"

Davin picked up Bark. "Are you alright?"

"Treecko..." It nodded.

He turned to the other boy. "Jett, how the heck did your Cyndaquil learn Overheat?!"

"That's a secret. Right, Cyndaquil?"

"Quil." It nodded. Jett returned it to its Pokeball.

"Come on, Jett! Tell me! If your Cyndaquil learned Overheat, then maybe Bark could learn a powerful move, too."

"Now what kind of rival would I be if I gave you a shortcut?" He laughed as he walked past him.

Davin snarled at him. "Stupid jerk!"


	7. Chapter 7 - The Way To Train

After Davin went back to Priheart City's Pokemon center to heal his Pokemon, he continued to head towards the next gym, still thinking about his battle with Jett. "How did his Cyndaquil learn Overheat? I've just got to know!"

While he was thinking, he stumbled upon a wooden cabin. "I wonder whose is it?" Suddenly, he heard an explosion from the back of it. He ran to the source and saw an old man with a large, black bird.

"Now, Honchkrow, use Heat Wave again!" The old man commanded.

"Wha-...Heat Wave?!"

Honchkrow rose into the air and an orange energy sphere appeared in its mouth. The sphere than released a wind of flames that burned 10 wooden dummies at once.

"Whoa!" Davin said, amazed.

"Excellent work, Honchkrow." The man said.

"Krow!" It replied.

"That was amazing!" Davin said as he revealed himself. "How was your Honchkrow able to learn Heat Wave?!"

"Well, I'm a move tutor." The man explained. "I can teach Pokemon moves they can't normally learn on their own."

"Really? That's so cool!" The boy paused for a second. "Oh, by the way, my name's Davin."

"Nice to meet you. My name is Joshu." (Pronounced Jo-shu)

Davin thought for a moment. "Um... By any chance, did a guy with a Cyndaquil stop by here?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. He asked me to teach it a powerful Fire type move, so I taught it how to use Overheat."

Davin's eyes widened. "Well... can you teach one of my Pokemon how to use a move?"

Joshu smiled. "I'd be happy to."

Davin released Bark from its Pokeball. "I want you to teach my Treecko a move."

"Well, what kind of move did you have in mind?"

"A move that's strong against Ice Pokemon. You see, I'm trying to earn my first badge, but I lost at the Priheart Gym because of type disadvantage. So I want Bark here to learn a stronger move."

"A move strong against Ice types?" Joshu held his chin. He thought for a moment, then came to a conclusion. "How about Focus Punch? It's a powerful Fighting type move and it's strong against Ice Pokemon."

"Sounds perfect!" Davin said, getting excited.

Joshu took a Pokeball from his robe and opened it, releasing a Sudowoodo that appeared in a flash of light.

"Bark, watch closely." Davin said to the gecko.

"Sudowoodo, use Focus Punch!" Sudowoodo's club shaped hand started to glow light blue. Then it launched itself towards a wooden dummy and it broke in half with one blow.

"Awesome!"

"Treecko!" Bark agreed.

Joshu knelt down to Bark. "You see, Bark, in order to use Focus Punch, you must focus all of your power into your fist." He pointed to a dummy that was beside the broken one. "Try practicing on that one."

Bark immediately ran towards the dummy and punched it, but nothing happened. Davin smacked his forehead. "Bark, you were supposed to focus your energy first."

"Tree... cko..." Bark rubbed the back of its head in embarrassment.

It went back to its starting position and closed its eyes, trying to focus its power into its fist. After 5 seconds, Bark made a second attempt, but no sign of Focus Punch was seen. Davin sighed. "This is going to be tougher than I thought."

"Just keep practicing. I'm sure Bark will master it soon." Joshu returned his Sudowoodo. "You're welcome to stay the night if you wish."

"Really? Thanks!" Davin turned to his Treecko. "All right! Let's keep going, Bark!" Bark didn't hear a word he said as it was punching the dummy over and over again without focusing.

Davin dropped his head in an "I can't believe it's doing that" feeling.


	8. Chapter 8 - Focusing On The Right Point

1 hour later

"Focus, Bark!"

Bark meditated for 3 seconds and punched the dummy normally.

2 hours later

Bark concentrated for 2 seconds and punched the dummy normally (again).

5 hours later

Davin was getting annoyed. "Come on, Bark! You've got to focus!"

Bark attacks the dummy without waiting (again!).

1 minute later

Davin sighed. "This is hopeless. Bark keeps rushing in without concentrating and that keeps holding him back." He walked over to Bark, who was _still_ punching the dummy, one fist after the other. "Bark... why don't we just give up? We've been at this for 8 hours and we're still not getting anywhere."

"Cko?" It asked.

Davin took out Bark's Pokeball. "Return." Bark dodged the beam. "Huh?"

"Treecko! Tree, Treecko!" It protested.

"But, Bark, you're too impatient. You're going to have to focus your energy longer than 3 seconds if you want to learn Focus Punch." Bark stared at the ground in thought.

Davin sighed. "Well I'm heading inside. You can keep practicing if you want to." He went inside the cabin with the feeling that Bark was never going to get it.

* * *

"So... any progress?" Joshu asked as he handed Davin a cup of tea.

"Nope. Just failure."

"Well, don't be discouraged. I'm sure it'll learn it soon."

"How soon is 'soon'? Bark just can't learn to focus! It's just wasting its time."

"If you keep thinking negatively like that, it's never going to happen." Joshu rose from his chair and looked out the window. "Come take a look."

Davin stood up from his chair and went to the window. He saw Bark, still punching away on the dummy. "See what I mean?"

"No, I don't." He stared at Joshu like he was crazy. "You see, Davin, just because it's called Focus Punch doesn't mean you rely on focus alone. You have to combine it with your strength as well."

Davin turned his gaze towards Bark. "So what you're saying is we need to combine focus and strength together in order to master it?"

Joshu nodded. "That's the key."

"Hmm..." The boy pondered.

* * *

Bark eventually took a break and was now resting on the ground, breathing heavily.

Davin walked up to Bark. "Tired?" He asked.

"Tree..." It nodded in response.

Davin smiled. "Well, good news. I finally figured out how we can learn Focus Punch."

"Treecko?" Bark sat up, seeming interested.

"We need to combine your strength and focus together. Up until now, we've only did them separately, but if we join them together, I'm sure we can do it!"

Bark stood up with its fists out. "Treecko,Treecko!"

"All right! Let's do this!"

A moment later, Bark faced the dummy. "Remember: Focus and power at the same time." Bark closed its eyes and emptied its mind of all distractions. As it felt the wind blow through it, Davin was staring at Bark, hoping it would progress. After 15 seconds, Bark ran towards the dummy with its eyes still closed.

"_What's it doing?_" Davin thought.

When Bark was 3 feet away from the dummy, it jumped high into air. It raised its fist as it was surrounded by a light blue aura. Davin gasped as Bark forcefully impacted the dummy and it split in half.

"ALL RIGHT!" Davin cheered. He ran towards Bark. "You did it! You mastered Focus Punch!"

"Treecko!" Bark gave him a wink and thumbs up.

"Congrats." Joshu said as he walked toward them. "See? I told you Bark could do it."

"You were right. And if it wasn't for your advice, we wouldn't have learned. Thank you so much, Joshu!"

The old man smiled. "Glad I could help."

* * *

When morning had come, Davin left Joshu's cabin and headed back to Priheart City. "Look out, Aisu! This time, you're going down!"


	9. Chapter 9 - Collisions Of Cold

Davin stared at the gym as he stood in front of it. "Today's the day... that Mist badge will be mine!"

He opened the door to the gym and like last time, it was pitch dark. "Aisu, it's Davin! I've come for a rematch!"

The lights suddenly came on to reveal the same ice field. "I hope you've gotten better." Aisu said as he stood on his end of the field.

"You're gonna be in for a real shock!" Davin said as he ran to his own side.

The judge stepped on to the field. "Same rules as before. Begin!"

* * *

Aisu threw his Pokeball. "I choose you, Glalie!"

"Gla." It said.

Davin threw his Pokeball. "Quake, I choose you!"

"Phan!" It said.

"This'll be the same as last time. Glalie, use Blizzard!" Quake was blown away like it was before.

"Quake, counter with Rollout!" It curled itself into a ball and redirected its body against the ice towards Glalie.

"Gyro ball!" They collided with each other.

"Quake, use Rock Smash!" Glalie easily dodged its attack.

"Use Sheer Cold!" Quake was hit by the ultimate attack and fainted.

The judge raised his right flag. "Phanpy is unable to battle! Glalie wins!"

Davin returned Quake. "Thanks, buddy. You got them right where I want them." He threw another Pokeball. "Let's go, Bark!"

"Cko!" Bark faced Glalie with ambition.

"Let's end this quickly! Glalie, use Sheer Cold!"

"Like that's gonna work twice. Bark, jump!" The ice energy was easily dodged. "Now use Absorb!" Glalie's energy was drained, but it looked like it did nothing.

"Blizzard!" Bark guarded itself as the strong wind pushed it back.

"Bark, use Quick Attack!" It ran through the storm and hit Glalie directly. Aisu was stunned that it was able to land a hit that was effective. "Use Pound!"

"Glalie, Gyro ball!" Glalie hit Bark the second they touched.

"You okay?" Bark stood up like it was only minimum damage. "All right. I think we've held back long enough!" Davin pointed his finger. "Bark, use Focus Punch!" The grass Pokemon closed its eyes and ran at Glalie as its fist began charging power.

Aisu was caught off guard for a second. "When did it learn to use a Fighting type move?" He brushed the thought off. "Glalie, Blizzard!" Even though the attack was released, Bark still kept running. Aisu gasped. "More power!" The blizzard became stronger, but that still didn't stop Bark.

It jumped into the air and managed to hit Glalie, knocking it into an ice boulder and making it faint.

"Glalie, no!" Aisu cried.

The judge raised his left flag. "Glalie is unable to battle! Treecko wins!"

"_Yes!_" Davin thought. "_Now it's just one-on-one. I'm sure his second Pokemon won't be that tough._"

Aisu returned Glalie. "Well, I have to say, I didn't expect to see your Treecko use Focus Punch... but I assure you..." He took out a new Pokeball. "This one's gonna be a whole lot tougher!" He threw the ball. "Jynx, I choose you!"

"Jynx." It said.

"A Jynx, huh? It does look strong, but Bark can beat it. Use Quick Attack!"

"Jynx, use Lovely Kiss!" Jynx pressed its hands against its lips and blew a kiss towards Bark.

"Jump and dodge it!" Bark did just that.

Aisu smirked. "Psychic!" Jynx's eyes glowed light blue as Bark's body glowed the same color. It threw Bark into the ceiling and then slammed it down into the ice.

"Bark, are you okay?" It struggled a little, but it stood up. "Use Absorb!"

"Jynx, Protect!" Bark's attack was deflected by the generated shield. "Now use Ice Beam!" Bark was hit directly by the light blue ray of ice.

"Oh no!" Bark could stand, but it started to breathe heavily. "I better end this quick. Bark, Focus Punch!"

"Jynx, use Psychic!" This time instead of levitation, Jynx fired two light blue beams from her eyes.

"Dodge them!" The attack was too fast, which resulted in a direct hit. The gecko couldn't get up no matter how hard it tried. "_I never expected Jynx to be this powerful. If Bark takes another hit, it's over for sure._"

"All right, Jynx, finish this with Ice Beam!" Bark was struck by the attack and, to Davin's disbelief, fainted.

The judge raised his right flag. "Treecko is unable to battle! Jynx wins! The victor is the Gym Leader, Aisu!"

Davin sighed and walked over to pick up the gecko. "Are you okay, Bark?"

"Tree, Treecko." It said with a slight grin.

"You were awesome. Take a good rest" He returned it to its Pokeball and turned towards Aisu as he returned Jynx to her ball. "Next time, Aisu, I'll be sure to beat you!" The boy started to walk away.

"Hold it!" Aisu called. He walked over to Davin, reached into his pocket, and revealed a Mist Badge. "This belongs to you."

Davin was shocked. "What...? But I lost."

Aisu smiled. "You may have lost, but you showed me the kind battle that I haven't enjoyed in quite a while. In my book, that makes you worthy of this badge."

Davin stared at Aisu and then at the badge. He took it from his palm.

"Thanks, Aisu!" He raised the badge into the air. "My first Gym Badge... I got the Mist Badge!"


	10. Chapter 10 - Brutality In Its Primeape

Davin stared at his new Mist Badge as he held it up to the sun. "This is awesome! My first badge!" He looked at his Poketch's map function. "The next gym is in Balavur Town." He sighed. "I hope I can actually win this one. If I keep winning badges by potential alone, I won't become a true Pokemon master."

A few minutes later, while he was walking, he heard a faint moaning sound. "What's that?" He wondered. He searched through the bushes to see and eventually found an injured Pokemon that looked like an orange chimp.

"A Chimchar!" Davin exclaimed.

"Chi...i...i..." It moaned.

"What happened to you?" The Chimchar was too weak to respond. Davin slowly picked it up. "Don't worry. I'll take care of you."

Another few minutes later, he rested the Chimchar on the ground near a quiet part of the area. Davin reached into his bag and pulled out his first-aid kit. "Just hang in there a bit more." He sprayed some Potion on to its injured spots, wrapped its wounds in bandages, and fed it some crushed berries. Chimchar opened its eyes slightly and saw Davin looking at him.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. Chimchar was a bit confused about who Davin was and where it was at the moment. It slowly rose up, still feeling the pain. "So, Chimchar, how'd you get those injuries? What happened?"

Chimchar looked scared as it reminisced about what had happened.

*Flashback*

_Chimchar ran in terror as eight Primeape chased after it. Chimchar had wandered into their territory and now the Primeape wanted to make sure that it would pay._

_Chimchar kept running until he hit a dead end that was caused by a huge boulder blocking the path. The Primeape stared angrily at Chimchar when they caught up with it._

_"Chim... Chimchar, Chim..." It begged to them._

_The Primeape grunted, not wanting to hear what Chimchar had to say, and attacked all at once. Chimchar was helpless as it was hit repeatedly by their Close Combats._

*End of flashback*

Chimchar closed its eyes and said nothing. Davin patted it on the head. "Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad that you're safe now."

"Chim?" It questioned in surprise.

Davin stood to his feet. "Take care, Chimchar. And be careful from now on." He walked away with Chimchar looking back at him. It stared at the bandages he had put on it; Chimchar had never met a human that was so kind to it like Davin had been.

* * *

Later on, Davin kept walking, still thinking about Chimchar. "Wonder how it's doing? Whoever caused its injuries sure beat it up good."

As he walked, he had a strange feeling that he was being watched. "Hmm... there's something creepy about this part of the forest." Next thing he knew, he heard a grunt coming from the air. He looked up to see eight Primeape right above him in mid-air and, with a yelp, he jumped out of the way as they landed.

The Primeape stared at him angrily. "_Why are they so mad?_" He thought. Without warning, they lunged at him.

Davin quickly threw a Poke ball. "Quake, stop these Primeape with Rock Smash!" When it appeared, Quake immediately swung its trunk and a boulder flew out, only to have one of the Primeape break it with Mega Punch.

"Try using Rollout!" Quake rolled straight at them, but they retaliated by joining together to form an octuple Poison Jab and striking the Phanpy in its body.

Davin gasped. "Return, Quake!"

Once it was back in its ball, he threw out his second Poke ball to release his Treecko. "Now, Bark, use Focus Punch!" It ran towards them, but they cut its attack off by using Thunderbolt all at the same time. Bark laid on the ground as electricity sizzled through its body.

"Oh no, it's paralyzed. What are we going to do?"


	11. Chapter 11 - Burning With Pride

Bark tried to stand up, but the paralysis wouldn't allow it.

"That's enough, Bark! Return!"

"Cko!" It shook its head.

"Bark, you can't fight in this condition," Davin tried to convince. "If you keep going, you'll be severely hurt!"

"Tree... cko..." It tried to reassure. The Primeape were all about to use Close Combat on it.

"Bark, use Absorb!" All of them dodged the red beam and immediately began hitting Bark simultaneously with punches and kicks. "Oh no! Bark!" Davin cried.

Bark fell to the ground, unable to get up. A Primeape was about to stomp on it until a sudden sound stopped it. Davin turned around to see a wheel of fire charging from above as it struck the Primeape, knocking it to the ground. The wheel deceased to reveal a familiar orange chimp.

"Chimchar? What are you doing here?" Davin asked in surprise.

The Primeape that was hit stood up and all eight of them came at Chimchar with Poison Jab. The Fire type leaped into the air as its foot began to engulf itself in fire. With a flip, it struck all eight of them with one mighty kick.

Davin couldn't believe his eyes. "Unbelievable! This Chimchar can use Blaze Kick!"

The Primeape didn't give up. They all went towards Chimchar at once, but Chimchar engulfed itself in fire and rolled towards them in a blazing heat, which made contact with all of them.

"Awesome..." Davin was completely in awe at the moment.

The Primeape struggled to get up, but they noticed Chimchar giving them a nasty glare as if telling them to back off. Seeing this, they cowardly ran away.

Davin knelt down beside Bark and returned it to its Poke ball before he turned to Chimchar. "Thanks for saving us, Chimchar. I had no idea you were so powerful!"

"Chim Chim!" It said happily.

Davin turned his back to it. "Well... maybe we'll see each other again someday."

As he was about to walk off, Chimchar tugged on his left pant leg. "Huh?" He looked down at it and saw that it had its head turned in the opposite direction as if it was shy. Davin smiled. "Chimchar... do you want to come with me?"

"Chim." It nodded, still not looking at him.

"Well, you got yourself a deal!" Chimchar turned its head towards him and smiled happily as Davin knelt down to it with a Poke ball in his hand. "From now on, your name is Aduro. Is that okay?"

"Char!" It nodded. He touched the Poke ball to its head and it disappeared inside. The button blinked red while he was holding it and it stopped after three beeps.

"Yeah! I caught a Chimchar!"


	12. Chapter 12 - An Unwanted Meeting

Still on his way to Balavur Town, Davin continues on. "I know I can beat the next gym leader! I just know it!" He kept thinking.

"Well, if it isn't Davy." A familiar voice said. To his annoyance, Jett walked up to him with his usual smirk.

"Oh, and I was in such a good mood, too." Davin said in disgust.

"So, did you win the Mist Badge?"

"Yep." Davin flashed his badge case out, revealing the said badge. "What about you? How's your journey going?"

"See for yourself." Jett took out his badge case, revealing two badges.

Davin's mouth dropped. "You've gotta be kidding! You already have two?!"

Jett chuckled. "It's believable when you're as good as me." Davin stared at his Mist Badge, feeling disappointed. "Well, I guess I'll be seein' ya." Jett started to walk away, but he was stopped by Davin's hand on his shoulder. "What is it?"

"You may have already gotten two badges, but that doesn't prove you're stronger than me. Let's have a 3-on-3 battle, right now!"

Jett took Davin's hand off his shoulder. "Forget it. I can't waste my time with a loser like you."

Davin wore a smug grin. "Why? Are you a... chicken?" He knew what drove Jett's anger up the wall, and that was being taunted.

As expected, Jett made an angry face and said, "All right. But don't blame me if you lose!"

Davin smiled. "Don't worry about that."

* * *

They stood across from each other.

"Ready to get beat?" Davin asked.

"Dream on!" Jett replied with confidence.

Davin was first. "Quake, let's do this!" The Phanpy appeared when the Pokeball was thrown and it looked ready for action.

"Bidoof, I choose you!" Jett threw his Poke ball and a beaver-like mouse appeared from it.

Davin stared at the Pokemon. "A Bidoof? I would've thought you had much better looking Pokemon than that."

"Just you wait. Bidoof is more than what it seems."

"Whatever. Quake, use Rollout!"

"Bidoof, use Rollout as well!"

Both collided with each other and the attacks were canceled out as they returned to their trainers' side.

"Quake, use Rock Smash!" It made a direct hit as it struck Bidoof with its trunk.

"Hyper fang, go!" Bidoof forcibly bit Quake's trunk and tossed it into a tree.

Davin gasped. "Wow. I didn't expect that."

"Now use Take Down!" Bidoof ran at full force towards the Phanpy.

"Hurry, Quake! Use Attract!" A yellow heart formed in front of Quake and it was launched at Bidoof. When it made contact with it, the heart disappeared into multiple little ones and Bidoof had hearts in its eyes.

"Uh-oh!" Jett said as he saw Bidoof staring at Quake with infatuation.

Davin grinned. "Like it? Since your Bidoof is a boy and my Phanpy is a girl, Attract makes Bidoof fall in love with it."

Jett gritted his teeth. "Bidoof, use Hyper Fang!"

"Quake, use Rollout!" The Phanpy sent Bidoof flying into the air. "All right. Rock Smash!" Quake slammed her trunk into the ground, causing a boulder to fly out and hit Bidoof, making it fall to the ground and faint.

Jett gasped. "No way!"

"Yes! 1 down, 2 to go!" Davin cheered.

Jett returned Bidoof. "Pure luck. That was it." He threw a new Pokeball. "Here's one you won't find easy! Go, Spearow!" The Tiny Bird Pokemon cawed as it flew out.

"I know the perfect one for this match. Quake, return!" She was sent back into her ball and Davin threw out a new one. "Let's go, Aduro!"

"Chimchar!" It cried as it came out.

"Whoa! A Chimchar?!" Jett was utterly shocked. "Where'd you get that?!"

Davin wore a bragging smile. "I found it in the woods a little while ago. It was injured, so I took care of it and I captured it."

Jett was extremely jealous of him right now, but he didn't want Davin to see or know about it. "Spearow, Aerial Ace!" Spearow dove towards the Chimchar.

"Aduro, use Blaze Kick!" Aduro delivered a straight fiery kick to Spearow's chest.

Jett was shocked again. "That Chimchar can use Blaze Kick too?!"

Davin couldn't help but laugh out loud. "The shocks never end for ya, do they? Aduro, Flame Wheel!" It covered itself in fire and slammed into Spearow while rolling.

Jett gritted his teeth. "Use Whirlwind!" Spearow flapped its wings rapidly to create a high powered wind.

Aduro cringed as it hit. "Don't let that stop you! Use Brick Break!" It ran towards Spearow as its fist began to glow.

"Spearow, use Drill Peck!" The Normal/Flying type started to spin while its beak glowed. Both attacks collided, but Aduro managed to knock Spearow backwards and it fainted.

Jett gasped. "This can't be happening!"


	13. Chapter 13 - Leaf With Determination

"Good work, Aduro!" Davin said.

"Char!" It hooted as it jumped.

Jett returned Spearow. "All right! This time, I know I'll win!" He threw his final Poke ball. "Cyndaquil, let's go!"

"Quil!" It chirped.

"Return, Aduro!" It disappeared inside and Davin threw his next Poke ball. "Okay, Bark! It's all up to you!"

"Treecko!" It said as it appeared.

"Ha! This'll be an easy win!" Jett said.

"We may have lost last time, but I assure you, it wont be as easy!"

"We'll see. Cyndaquil, use Quick Attack!" Cyndaquil dashed toward the Treecko.

"Bark, use Pound!" Bark landed a hit with its tail.

"Cyndaquil, counter with Flame Wheel!"

"Bark, use Quick Attack!"

Both went towards each other and Bark was burned due to Cyndaquil being coated in fire. "Oh no!" Davin gasped.

"Now, Hidden Power!" Cyndaquil released the energy circles from around its body.

"Bark, hurry and use Absorb!" It tried, but Cyndaquil's attack was too fast and it was hit.

Jett laughed. "Time to end this! Use Overheat!"

"No! Not that!" Davin shouted. Cyndaquil's body turned dark red and it released its infamous power flame. "Bark, get out of there!" Bark weakly stood up and tried to move, but it was hit directly by the fire.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Davin screamed.

Bark collapsed to the ground with burn marks on every single part of its body, groaning a little.

Davin was torn. "No... It can't be!"

Jett chuckled. "Looks like that's all she wrote."

Davin closed his eyes and looked down in defeat. "I don't believe it... How could I lose... to him... again...?"

Right then, he heard struggling. He looked across the field and saw Bark trying to get up. "No, Bark! Stay down!" Bark ignored him and struggled to stand. "Bark, listen! I know you want to win, but you're too injured! Let's quit and get you to a Pokemon center right now!" It was ignoring everything Davin was saying and still tried to stand.

"Boy, your Treecko is sure stubborn. It just won't give in." Jett pointed forward. "Maybe this'll help. Cyndaquil, time for another Overheat!" Cyndaquil fired its second powerful Overheat at the struggling Treecko.

"Bark..." Davin said, breathless. Bark was still trying, but no good was coming to it; the Overheat was dead near it.

Davin couldn't stand it and shouted, "BARK, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The attack hit Bark with full force, causing an explosion. Davin covered his face. "No... No..." Even after that, Bark still struggled, but it was no use.

"Bark! I told you to stay down!"

Bark still struggled to get up with very weak effort.

Davin growled. "WHY WON'T YOU STAY DOWN?!"

Bark flinched a few times and then its entire body started to glow.

Jett gasped. "It's evolving!"

Davin's anger suddenly turned into amazement at this process and was totally speechless. When the light faded, a new and powerful Pokemon stood before them.

"Grooooo...vyyyyyle!" Bark shouted.

"W-... wow." Davin managed to utter. He took out his Pokedex to see what information it held.

"Grovyle, The Wood Gecko Pokemon, and the evolved form of Treecko. Grovyle is known for its dexterity in the treetops, as it is often seen jumping from branch to branch."

"Grovyle... That's so cool!" Davin was excited about his new evolved Pokemon.

Jett, on the other hand, felt the opposite. "Big deal. We can still take it down! Cyndaquil, use Flame Wheel!"

"Bark, use Focus Punch!" Cyndaquil rolled towards Bark in fire, but the Grass type Pokemon jumped up high and made contact with the fire mouse with its fist. "Wow! Focus Punch looks a lot stronger now!"

"Cyndaquil, Hidden Power!"

"Dodge it, then use Quick Attack!" Bark did as it was told and slammed into Cyndaquil's body. Then to Davin's surprise, the large leaf on Bark's head started to glow light green as leaves scattered around its body. They bombarded Cyndaquil, one after the other, until the small Pokemon had fainted.

"We won...?" Davin said in surprise. "WE WON!" He ran over and hugged his new Grovyle. "You were awesome, Bark! That Leaf Storm you used was excellent!"

"Grovyle." It said.

Jett returned Cyndaquil. "Great job, buddy. You deserve a nice long rest." He walked over to Davin. "Congratulations, Davin. You won fair and square."

"Thanks, Jett. That means a lot coming from you." Davin smiled.

"Of course, that battle was just the beginning. I'm going to keep training, and next time I'll beat you to a pulp!"

"Ha! That'll be the day! Bark and I are gonna be the champions. Right, Bark?"

"Gro!" It nodded with a raised fist.

"I'll believe it when I see it." Jett walked past him with a smug grin on his face.

After he left, Davin turned to Bark.

"Bark... I'm sorry about what happened during the battle. I didn't realize you wanted to keep fighting just for me to win."

"Grovyle." It said with forgiveness.

Davin smiled. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go get our second badge!"


	14. Chapter 14 - Vs Petra

Davin checked his Poketch as he gazed at a town. "Yep! I'm finally here." Beyond him was Balavur town, the place where his next gym battle would take place. "Well, what am I standing here for? Let's go!"

* * *

After a quick stop at the Pokemon Center, Davin went to the town's gym and walked through the automatic doors. "Whoa!" He said as he looked at a battlefield that was built with a mountain terrain consisting of stones and rocks.

"Welcome, challenger!" A female voice said. Davin saw a woman about the age of 18 that was standing on the opposite side of the gym. "My name is Petra, I'm the Balavur gym leader."

"The name's Davin. Nice to meet you."

The referee stood in the center of the field. "The gym battle between the challenger, Davin, and the Balavur Gym Leader, Petra, will now begin! This will be a 3-on-3 battle. Only the challenger may substitute his Pokemon." He raised both flags. "Begin!"

Petra threw her first Poke ball. "I choose you, Dugtrio!"

"Trio!" The three heads said at once.

"A Ground type, huh? Piece of cake!" Davin threw his Poke ball. "Bark, I choose you!"

"Grovyle!" It said as it appeared.

"Dugtrio, use Magnitude!" It let out a yell and two cracks in the ground appeared as they went towards Bark.

"Dodge it!" Bark leaped into the air in a quick flash, avoiding the move. "Now use Quick Attack!"

"Dugtrio, Tri Attack!" One head produced a red sphere, another produced a yellow sphere, and the last one produced a blue sphere. They all fired at once to form a triangle-shaped beam that made contact with Bark and knocked him to the ground.

"Are you okay, Bark?" Davin asked.

"Gro!" It nodded. Right then, its body was suddenly covered in flames.

Davin gasped. "What's happening?"

"That's the power of Tri Attack." Petra explained. "Once used, it may burn, freeze, or paralyze its opponent."

"Well, that's not good." He muttered.

"Dugtrio, Sand Tomb!" It dug into the ground and a giant hole opened in the ground, dragging Bark into the center where Dugtrio was.

"Bark, try to climb back up!" It made an attempt, but the burn effect from before activated, which made Bark lose its grip and slide closer to Dugtrio.

"Finish it with Aerial Ace!" Dugtrio charged towards Bark as white light engulfed its body and it made contact, causing Bark to fly into the air.

"Bark, nooo!" Bark landed with a thud on the ground and it fainted.

The ref. raised his right flag. "Grovyle is unable to battle! Dugtrio wins!"

Bark was returned to his Poke Ball. "You did good, Bark. Take a nice rest." He threw his out his next Pokemon. "Quake, I choose you!" The ball opened and the small blue elephant appeared.

"Dugtrio, use Tri Attack!"

"Like that's gonna work twice! Quake, deflect it by using Rollout at triple speed!"

Dugtrio's attack was launched while Quake stood where she was and rolled in place as fast as she could. When Tri Attack made contact, it was quickly reflected on to Dugtrio. "No way! That actually worked?!" Petra said in shock. The Mole Pokemon suddenly became frozen.

"Yes! Now, Quake, use Rock Smash!" Quake slammed her trunk on the ground and boulders were launched up from it. The boulders made contact with Dugtrio, causing the ice that it was encased in to shatter.

"Quick! Use Rock Slide!" Quake went to a nearby rock and smashed it with her trunk, causing the large broken parts of it to hit Dugtrio and cause a knockout.

The ref raised his left flag. "Dugtrio is unable to battle! Phanpy wins!"

Petra returned Dugtrio. "Nice work, Dugtrio. I'm proud of you." She threw her next Poke ball. "Come on out, Swinub!"

"Swinub, Swi!" It said as it materialized.

"_Uh-oh!_" Davin thought. "_Swinub's part Ice type. Quake could get beaten easily because of the type disadvantage._" He held out a Poke ball. "Quake, return!" She disappeared in a red flash. Davin then threw out a different Poke ball. "Aduro, it's your turn!"

"Chimchar!" It said as it appeared.

"All right, Aduro! Use Flame Wheel!"

"Swinub, stay right where you are!" The Pig Pokemon obeyed her and didn't move a muscle.

"Looks like she's planning something." Davin said to himself. "Aduro, jump up and attack from above!" The Chimchar launched itself high into the air and made an aerial attack.

Petra smiled. "I knew it. Swinub, use Mud Shot!" Swinub fired multiple mud bombs at Aduro, causing the chimp to cancel Flame Wheel and fall to the ground. "Now, Ice Shard!" A ball of ice formed in Swinub's mouth and it was launched at high speed.

"Aduro, use Will-O-Wisp!" It spread its arms apart and light blue flames appeared around its body. It was about to fire them, but Swinub's Ice Shard was so fast that it hit first. "Aduro, no!"

"Swinub, use Ice Shard once more!"

"Again, Aduro! Will-O-Wisp!"

It was the same result.

Davin grunted in frustration. "Man! As long as she keeps using Ice Shard, we won't be able to land a hit!"

"Ice Shard!"

The boy thought quickly. "Aduro, use Flame Wheel!" The Ice Shard shattered upon contact and Swinub was finally hit, making Petra gasp. "Now use Brick Break!"

"Swinub, counter with Blizzard!" Aduro jumped into the air, avoiding it, and managed to hit Swinub with a karate-style chop, knocking it into a boulder and making it faint.

The ref raised his left flag. "Swinub is unable to battle! Chimchar wins!"


	15. Chapter 15 - Shaking Up A Good Battle

"_Ha! This couldn't be better!_" Davin thought. "_My second badge is only one win away!_"

Petra returned Swinub. "I'm surprised you made it this far, Davin. But as you probably know..." She held out a Poke ball. "This last one is always my best!" She threw it. "Gliscor, go!"

"Gli!" It said as it appeared.

"Interesting..." Davin said to himself. He took out his Pokedex and opened it up.

"Gliscor, the Fang Scorp Pokemon. It observes prey while hanging from inverted branches. If it succeeds in catching even a faint breeze, it can circle the globe without flapping its wings."

"_Sounds like a tough opponent,_" He thought. "_But I'm not scared one bit!_" He pointed his finger towards Gliscor. "Aduro, use Will-O-Wisp!"

"Gliscor, fly up!" The flames darted under Gliscor as it took to the air.

"Use Flame Wheel!" The Chimchar took to the air while rolling in fire.

Petra smiled. "Grab it!" Gliscor slammed its claws against Aduro's attack, which put out the flames and made Davin gasp. "Sludge Bomb!" Aduro flinched as it was hit by multiple sludge bullets and it was knocked into a boulder.

"You all right?" Davin asked it. Even though it took a nasty fall, Aduro stood up. "Good. Now use Blaze Kick!"

"Dig, Gliscor!" Gliscor shot straight into the ground before Aduro could hit it.

"Wasn't expecting that." Davin said. Aduro looked from left to right to see where Gliscor would pop up.

"Guillotine, now!" Gliscor's claw came out of the ground and grabbed Aduro's foot, tossing it aside and making it faint.

The ref raised his right flag. "Chimchar is unable to battle! Gliscor wins!"

Davin recalled Aduro with frustration. "Man... If Gliscor uses Guillotine again, it's all over." He brushed off the thought and threw his last Poke ball. "Quake, it's all up to you!" The Phanpy made her second appearance upon the Poke ball opening up.

"This won't take long. Gliscor, use Ice Fang!" Its teeth glowed light blue as it flew towards its foe.

"Quake, avoid it by using Rollout right where you're standing!" Gliscor bit Quake and caused part of her body to become frozen. "Now use Rock Slide!" Quake slammed her trunk on the ground, sending boulders flying.

"Knock 'em back with your claws!" Each boulder was destroyed as it came closer to Gliscor, the Ground/Flying type crushing them with its crab-like pincers. "Now, let's finish this with Guillotine!" Gliscor stretched out its right claw as it headed toward Quake.

"Dodge it!" She tried to, but Quake was still a bit frozen from Gliscor's Ice Fang. "_No... It can't end like_ _this..._" He thought. "_No way!_" Suddenly, something hit him. "_Of course!_ Quick, Quake! Use Attract!"

Quake blew Gliscor a kiss, which took the form of a heart. When the heart made contact, Gliscor stopped in its tracks and gazed at Quake lovingly.

Petra gasped. "Oh no!"

Davin smiled. "Oh yes! Quake, use Rock Smash!"

Quake repeatedly slammed her trunk to the ground, making boulders hit Gliscor again and again while it was dazed.

Petra was frustrated. "Snap out of it, Gliscor, and use Sludge Bomb!" He did nothing as he stood there and took the hits like a fool in love.

"This is great!" Davin said to himself. "But if we want to finish this quickly, we're gonna need a stronger move."

"Phan!" Davin heard. He looked up and saw Quake's body glowing with dim light. "What the-? What's that?" Quake lifted her nose into the air and let out a loud cry along with a blinding flash that spread across the entire gym.

Davin shielded his eyes. "What the heck is this?!"

Petra shielded her eyes as well. "It's Phanpy's Last Resort attack!"

After partially suffering blindness, the light deceased. When everyone looked at the field, Quake was standing strong while Gliscor was revealed to have fainted.

The ref, just getting his vision back, raised his left flag. "Gliscor is unable to battle! Phanpy wins! The victor of this battle is the challenger, Davin!"

"Wow!" Davin said. "I had no idea Quake had that kind of power." The Phanpy ran up to Davin and jumped up happily. He took her into his arms. "You're full of surprises, you know that?"

"Phan, Phan!" She said as she flapped her large ears.

Petra walked over to Gliscor. "You okay?"

He looked at her and replied with a sad, "Gli."

She smiled. "It's alright. You did your best." She held out his Poke ball. "Take a good rest." After Gliscor was returned, she walked over to the victor. "You're quite the trainer, Davin."

"Same to you, Petra." He smiled.

"As proof of your victory here, I'm proud to present to you..." She held out a badge that looked like a crack in the middle of a surface. "The Fissure Badge!"

Davin took the badge from her. "Thank you!" He held the badge in the air with his left hand while Quake was in his right. "I got the Fissure Badge!"


	16. Chapter 16 - It's Not That Complex

"Heh heh." Davin laughed to himself. "Two badges. Wait until Jett hears about this." He checked his Poketch to see where the next gym is. "Fulgetra City's my next stop!" He smiled. "I'll have my third badge in no time!"

Suddenly, something fell on his head. "Ow! What the heck was that?" He looked toward the ground and saw a Weedle shaking its head in confusion.

"Hmm?" He wondered. He took out his Pokedex for some info.

"Weedle, the Hairy Bug Pokemon." It said. "It eats its weight in leaves and can poison its foes with the stinger on its head."

"That's sounds like a cool Pokemon to have!" He took out a Poke ball. "This Weedle is mine!" He threw the Poke ball. "Aduro, I choose you!"

"Char!" It screeched.

"Use Blaze Kick!" Aduro ran towards Weedle and gave it a fiery kick. Even though it was super effective, Weedle got up and fired a String Shot.

"Dodge! Then, use Brick Break!" Aduro jumped and landed a hit to the bug's forehead.

"And now... Flame Wheel!" Weedle was smashed by Aduro's attack.

"All right! Go, Poke ball!" The ball hit Weedle and it was sucked inside, the ball moving from left to right as its red button blinked. Davin held his fists together while Aduro just stared.

Suddenly, the ball stood still.

"Yes!" Davin cheered as he picked up the Poke Ball. "This Weedle is mine!" He knelt down to Aduro and petted its head. "Good job, Aduro. You were great."

"Chim, chim." It responded.

Davin threw Weedle's Poke ball into the air and it popped out in a flash of light. "Nice to meet you, Weedle." Davin smiled. "How do you feel about traveling with us?"

"Wee... dle?" It said, sounding confused.

"Oh, that's right. You don't know anything about us." He pointed to his left. "That's Aduro. He's one of my buddies." He pointed to himself. "And I'm Davin. I'm your trainer, but I'm also your friend."

"Weedle!" It said in greeting.

"Cool!" Davin extended his arm and Weedle crawled up all the way to his shoulder. "How about I call you... Plex?" Weedle and Aduro stared at him in confusion to the name.

He turned to Weedle. "Well, you seem to be perplexed most of the time so the name 'Plex' is for your perplexity."

"Dle..." Weedle thought before answering. "Wee-dle!"

"All right! Plex is your nickname from now on!" Plex raised himself up in happiness while Aduro cheered in excitement of its new comrade.


	17. Chapter 17 - The Girl Who Likes Contests

Davin was resting at a Pokemon Center in Certamen Town as he waited for his Pokemon to heal. Right then, he was thinking, "I can't stop thinking about the Fulgetra City gym. I'm so gonna win it!"

3 minutes later, Nurse Joy called him to the front desk and gave him his Poke Balls. "Your Pokemon are in good health." She smiled.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy." Davin took his Poke Balls, put them back where they belonged, and headed out.

* * *

About a minute later before exiting the town, Davin noticed a girl training with her Sunkern.

"Okay, Sunkern! Use Razor Leaf!" The yellow, black striped Pokemon did a spin while it released its leaves in a scatter-like fashion.

"Now use Grass Whistle!" Sunkern sang a beautiful melody as the music notes circled the leaves in mid-air.

"Now top it all off with Flash!" Sunkern's leaf emitted a quick light that made the leaves and music notes disintegrate into sparkling dust.

"Wow! That's beautiful." Davin complemented as he walked up to them.

"Thank you." The girl said. "Are you entering the contest, too?"

"Contest? What kind?"

"The Pokemon contest, of course."

Davin stood silent for a second. "Never heard of it."

The girl was stunned. "You're kidding. You've NEVER heard of Pokemon contests?" Davin shook his head. "Pokemon contests are special events where Pokemon coordinators show off their Pokemon's style and beauty."

Davin started to get it. "Oh. So that's why you combined Razor Leaf and Grass whistle together like that."

She nodded. "And whoever wins a Pokemon contest..." She opened a case that she had and took out something. "Gets a ribbon like this!"

"Cool." he said. "My name is Davin, by the way."

"My name's Leyna." She turned to her right. "And this is my Sunkern. Say hi."

"Sunkern kern!" It greeted.

Davin took out his Pokedex. "Sunkern, the Seed Pokemon. It lives by drinking only dewdrops from under the leaves of plants and it is said to eat nothing else."

"So, Davin," Leyna began. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Will you have a 2-on-2 battle with me? I want my Pokemon to get in a little more experience before the contest starts."

"I'd love to!" He smiled.

* * *

Both trainers took their positions.

"Okay, Sunkern, are you ready?"

"Kern!" It said.

Davin threw a Poke Ball. "Bark, I choose you!"

"Grovyle!" It said.

"Okay, Leyna! You can have the first move."

"Thanks. Sunkern, use Razor Leaf!"

"Bark, counter with Leaf Storm!"

The leaf on top of Bark's head glowed light green and with one whip, leaves swung out rapidly. Both attacks canceled each other out.

"Now, Bark, use Quick Attack!" With fast speed, Bark made contact with the small Pokemon.

"Sunkern, use Grass whistle!"

"Dodge and use Pound!" Bark jumped into the air and hit Sunkern with its leaf, resulting in a knockout. "Good job, Bark!"

"Grovyle Gro." It said smugly with its arms folded.

Leyna recalled Sunkern. "Your Grovyle is impressive, Davin. But let's see if it can handle this!" She threw her Poke ball and out popped a rock creature that resembled a rhino, making Davin check his Pokedex.

"Rhyhorn, the Spikes Pokemon. Its body is covered in a thick hide and its tackles are so powerful, they can topple over buildings."

"Cool! A Rhyhorn's a good opponent." He frowned. "But how's a Pokemon like that going to win a Pokemon contest? It's not exactly the best looking Pokemon around."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." went Leyna. "Davin, it doesn't matter what the Pokemon looks like. It's a Pokemon's moves that matter. Right, Rhyhorn?" It roared in agreement.

"I see..." Davin returned Bark to its Poke ball and threw another one. "Plex, I choose you!"

"Weedle." The worm Pokemon said.

Leyna was surprised. "Davin... Weedle's a Bug Pokemon. They're weak against Rock types."

He simply smiled. "I know, but I wanted to give Plex a taste of what it's like on the battlefield."

She sighed. "If you say so. Rhyhorn, use Horn Attack!" It charged fast towards the helpless worm.

"Plex, use String Shot!" It sprayed out its white silk, but unfortunately it only worked on Rhyhorn's horn. Plex was sent into the air by Rhyhorn's attack.

"Now use Rock Blast!" Several stones circled around Rhyhorn and were sent after Plex; the stones hit one by one and Plex slid backwards across the field.

"Plex, can you still fight?" Davin asked. It tried to get up, but it fainted.

Leyna shook her head "See? I told you."

Davin returned Plex. "Oh well. Maybe next time you'll win."

Leyna returned her Rhyhorn. "Though it wasn't much of a battle, you did good, Rhyhorn."

Davin walked up to her. "You're a good trainer, Leyna."

"So are you." Just then, she got an idea. "Hey, why don't you enter the contest? I'm sure the crowd will be amazed by your Pokemon."

"Thanks for the offer, but gym battles are more my forte. But I'll be sure to watch you perform."

She smiled. "I understand." Right then, the town's clock rang. "Well, it's getting late. I better be going."

" 'Kay. I'll be rooting for ya tomorrow."

With that, Leyna and Davin said goodbye and went their separate ways.


	18. Chapter 18 - Presenting With Style

"And we're down to the final match!" Adrian, the Pokemon contest host, announced. "On my right, it's Leyna! And on my left, it's Henry!"

The contest was shown on television at the Pokemon Center and Davin was watching, hoping for Leyna to win it.

"5 minutes on the clock!" Adrian pointed to a screen, where Leyna's and Henry's pictures were and a yellow circle was underneath. "Go!"

"Rhyhorn, take your place!" Leyna said as she threw her Poke ball. When it opened, petals scattered out from it and Rhyhorn appeared.

Henry threw his Poke ball. "Wooper, on stage!" Lightning bolts shot out of his Poke ball and Wooper appeared.

"Rhyhorn, use Rock Blast!"

"Wooper, dodge and use Water Gun!"

When Wooper evaded the rocks, the yellow circle underneath Leyna's picture started to disappear. Wooper then shot a blast of water from its mouth that hit Rhyhorn, making the circle disappear more.

"Now, Wooper, Blizzard!"

"Rhyhorn, create a barrier around yourself by spinning and using Flamethrower!"

To the crowd's surprise, Rhyhorn did a handstand and began spinning while breathing fire from its mouth, creating a spinning shield of flames. Wooper's Blizzard deceased as it hit the flames.

"Incredible!" Adrian announced. "Rhyhorn creates a beautiful fire shield while standing on one foot!"

"Whoa! That's cool!" Davin said.

Henry's points began to disappear. "Wooper, jump!" It bounced into the air, using its tail as a spring. "Now, spin and use Mist!" Wooper twirled in a circle in midair as it released a thick fog from its mouth, making Rhyhorn unable to see.

"Ugh! I can't see where it is!" Leyna said.

To Rhyhorn's surprise, a Blizzard hit its body and made it freeze completely, making Leyna gasp as her points disappeared some more.

"What a clever strategy! Using Mist, Wooper ambushed Rhyhorn with a surprise Blizzard!" Adrian announced.

"Rhyhorn, try to break free!" It was completely motionless and unable to hear her.

Henry smiled. "Now for our big surprise! Wooper, launch a Water Pulse into the air!" It opened its mouth to form a sphere of water and it was launched into the air. "Jump and use Blizzard on it!" Wooper joined its attack by springing up and freezing it with its Ice type move.

"What's he planning?" Leyna asked.

"Now use Blizzard while spinning fast!" Wooper circled the frozen sphere so fast that it was shown as a blur.

"Wooper is spinning like there's no tomorrow!" Adrian announced. "What results will take place from this?"

With a flash of light blue, a humongous ice ball was in mid-air.

Davin gasped. "Whoa! That's huge!"

Henry pointed towards Rhyhorn. "Throw it!" Using its tail, Wooper sent the giant ice ball crashing into Rhyhorn, causing a huge explosion to occur. When the smoke cleared, Rhyhorn was on its back, knocked out.

All three judging panels showed an "X", meaning that Leyna was eliminated.

"And that's that! The winner of the Thornrose Town contest is... Henry!"

Leyna looked disappointed but a second later, she smiled and walked toward Rhyhorn, getting it back on its feet. "You okay?" She asked it.

Rhyhorn nodded. Leyna hugged it. "You were great. Thanks for doing a good job."

Davin was a bit surprised to see that she was alright after her defeat.

* * *

Later that day, Leyna came to the Pokemon Center to heal her Rhyhorn, where she saw Davin.

"I'm sorry you lost." He said.

She smiled. "Don't worry about it. It was fun."

Davin looked at her like she was crazy. "It was fun to lose?"

She shook her head with a giggle. "I mean it was fun to participate in. Sure I lost, but there are other contests out there that I know I'll win."

Davin smiled at her. "Wow. You're amazing. Even after a lost, you're still yourself."

She giggled. "It's not as hard as it looks, trust me."

After a bit of chatting, Davin and Leyna walked out of the Pokemon center.

"So, Davin, where are you headed?"

"I'm heading towards Fulgetra City for my next badge. What about you?"

"I'm going to Starrade city. That's where the next Pokemon contest is."

He nodded. "Well, good luck in getting your fourth ribbon."

She nodded. "And good luck getting your third badge."

Waving goodbye to each other, they went their separate ways yet again.


	19. Chapter 19 - Starly Surprise

"Bark, use Leaf Storm!" The Grovyle released a cyclone of wind along with light green glowing leaves from the leaf on its head.

"Plex, use Poison Sting!" The Weedle fired multiple needles from its stinger, but it was easily penetrated by Leaf Storm and Plex flew into a tree.

"Are you okay?" Davin asked.

Plex shook its head to get itself back in motion and rushed towards Bark to try and hit it with its stinger. Bark avoided the attack by jumping, but Plex quickly retaliated with Poison Sting, which hit Bark directly and made it fall.

Davin was truly impressed. "Wow, Plex! That was amazing. You're finally starting to learn how to properly battle!"

"Weedle!" Plex nodded. Suddenly, the worm Pokemon started to glow.

Davin gasped. "Hey! I recognize that light." Excitedly, he said, "Plex is evolving!"

While transforming, Plex began to develop a somewhat bulky exterior and its stinger disappeared; the light soon faded and Plex's new form was revealed. Strangely, Plex fell on its back afterwards.

Davin ran over and held Plex in his arms. "Cool! You've reached your next stage." He took out his Pokedex and opened it.

"Kakuna, the Cocoon Pokemon, and the evolved form of Weedle. Kakuna silently wait until they evolve to their next stage. It hides from predators under leaves and can extend its poison barb if it is attacked."

Davin smiled. "So, Plex, how does it feel to be a Kakuna?" It only blinked in response. "I guess you can't speak while in that form, huh?" He laughed.

* * *

Later on, Davin continued to make his way toward Fulgetra City, but he stopped after he heard a noise from nearby.

"That's weird... What could that have been?" His question was answered when something swooped over his head. Davin fell back in surprise as an angry Starly hovered in front of him.

"Uh... H-Hey... Starly..." He said nervously." ...uh... What's up?"

"Starlyyyyyyyyyy" It screeched towards the sky and suddenly the whole sky was filled with bird Pokemon. As they flew down, it was revealed that the birds were two Starly, two Staravia, and one Staraptor; they all stared at Davin with an unpleasant look.

As Davin got up, he said, "Oh, I get it. Looks like I wondered into a Starly evolution family territory," He put his hands behind his back. "I mean no harm to you all. I'm just passing through."

Ignoring him, Staraptor ordered the Starly and Staravia to attack; Davin ducked in fear as they pecked at him fiercely.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Quit it!" None of them ceased their pecking. "Quake..." he said, getting out a Poke ball. "Get rid of these guys with your Rollout!" The Phanpy appeared, curled into a ball, and sent them away with a good hit.

Davin sighed of relief. "Thank goodness that's over." He spoke too soon as more Starly and Staravia came. "Aw, man! Looks like were gonna need backup!" He threw two Poke balls into the air. "Bark and Aduro, help us out!"

As soon as they appeared, Bark used Leaf Storm and Aduro used Will-O-Wisp to cease them away. More Starly and Staravia kept coming, no matter what forces were against them.

"Uggh! What are we going to do?!"

"Staraptor!" The lead Staraptor cried. The Starly and Staravia backed off and Staraptor flew up to Davin. "Star. Star, Staraptor. Star, Star. Staraptor." It said.

Davin nodded in understandment. "You're saying if I can defeat you in a battle, you'll let us go?"

"Star." It nodded.

Davin nodded as well. "Okay! You got yourself a deal!"


	20. Chapter 20 - Don't Bug Me!

Davin and Staraptor stared at each other with intimidation.

Davin thought for a second. "Ok! I choose..." Before Davin could finish, white light shot out of his pocket and Plex took form in front of him. It fell back as it did.

"Plex, what are you doing out?" He asked. It moved slightly, trying to communicate. "Are you trying to say you want to battle? Blink once for no and twice for yes." It blinked twice. "But, Plex, you can't fight while you're like this." It moved slightly again, trying to convince him.

Davin sighed. "I'm sorry, Plex." He was about to send it back to its Poke ball, but Bark, Quake, and Aduro grabbed his hand to stop him. "What are you guys doing?"

"Grovyle Gro!/Chimchar Chim!/Phanpy!" They all said at once.

He sighed again. "But, guys, Plex can't fight. He'll get defeated easily."

"Gro." Bark pointed towards Plex. Davin could see tears coming from its eyes.

"But... Plex... you..." Plex closed its eyes and rolled over to its right, crying to itself.

All of Davin's Pokemon stared at him. "Look, guys... I know you mean well, but..."

"Staraptor!" Without warning, Staraptor used Aerial Ace and Plex was knocked into the bark of a tree.

"Staraptor, what are you doing?!" Davin asked with shock.

"Star! Star, Staraptor!" It said angrily.

"Well, I'm not using Plex to fight!" He held up Plex's Poke ball. "Return!" Before the red beam hit, Plex's body briefly flashed white and the red beam disappeared as soon as it made contact with it.

"Plex..." Davin said in almost a whisper from shock.

Staraptor flew to the sky and dived as a blue aura engulfed its body.

"Return, Plex! I mean it!" It was the same result and Staraptor hit Plex with full force, landing it on the ground with injured marks on its skin. Davin gasped. "Bark, use Focus Punch on Staraptor!"

"Gro." Bark refused as it folded its arms and turned its head.

"Fine. Be that way." He pointed towards Staraptor. "Quake, use Rollout!"

"Py." Quake refused and shifted her head away from him.

Davin growled. "All right! Aduro, Blaze Kick!"

"Chim." Aduro turned its head in refusal.

"Come on! You too?!"

Staraptor used Close Combat on Plex, kicking and pecking it in rapid succession, and it winced at each hit.

"Plex!" Davin shouted in worry.

Staraptor slammed it into the bark of the same tree as before; Plex lied there without moving, eyes closed.

"Why... Why is Plex doing this? It knows it can't fight."

Staraptor was about to finish it off with one final Brave Bird.

"I can't watch..." Davin turned his head away. Plex was hit by the powerful move and it flew high into the air after the hit. But afterwards, its body started glowing, making Davin's Pokemon gasp. The boy looked up and saw Plex transforming. "It's... evolving..."

Soon, Plex stopped glowing and its second form beated its wings in the air. Davin took out his Pokedex.

"Beedrill, the Poison Bee Pokemon, and the final evolution of Weedle. With its three poison barbs, including the one on its tail, it can take down any of its foes."

"Wow..." Davin said.

Plex's right barb glowed purple and it struck Staraptor in the chest.

"That's Poison Jab!" Davin said, getting less upset. Next, Plex put his barbs together, began spinning, and hit Staraptor again. "Twineedle! Awesome!" Davin brightened. And lastly, Plex's body became coated in a purple and orange aura and it knocked Staraptor out of the sky and on to the ground, making it faint. "And Giga Impact?! Wow!" Davin had completely lost his sadness.

The Starly and Staravia flew over to Staraptor and helped it to its feet. Plex flew down to meet Staraptor.

"Star. Star Staraptor." It said.

"Spee. Spee Spee." Plex replied.

Staraptor rounded up the Starly and Staravia and they were off.

Plex flew over to his friends.

"Plex, you were awesome! You really became powerful!" Davin smiled.

"Spee." Plex shifted its head away, ignoring him.

Davin sighed. "Don't tell me you're still mad I wouldn't let you fight." Plex didn't respond. He turned to his Pokemon. "Guys, can you help me out here." They all shifted their heads in refusal.

Davin turned to his Beedrill and then to his other Pokemon. Suddenly he became angry and turned to Plex.

"Look here! I was only looking out for your well-being! You knew you couldn't win as a Kakuna!"

"Spee." Plex responded in disgust.

"You may have evolved during the battle, but what would've happen if you didn't?! You'd be completely injured by now!"

Plex ignored him.

Davin turned to the others. "Guys?!" Their heads were still shifted.

Most people in this situation would give in and apologize when they see they're out numbered. But unfortunately, Davin was not like most people...

"NO! No, no, no! I refuse to be the one at fault here! I was only trying to protect you!" Plex still ignored him and so did the others.

Davin had had it. He lowered his head and said, "Fine. If that's how it's gonna be..." He reached into his pocket, took out Plex's Poke ball, and dropped it on the ground.

"Spee?" Plex finally turned its head around, curious at to what Davin was doing. The others did the same.

Davin sighed. "You know... when I first met you, Plex... I thought we could be really good friends..." He swallowed. "But... if you're too stubborn to admit that your wrong... and not appreciate my concern..." Davin raised his foot over the Poke ball... and CRUSHED it into pieces! "THEN I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE A PART OF MY TEAM!"

Bark, Quake, Aduro, and Plex all gasped at once. "Gro?! Grovyle?" Bark said, stunned.

"Spee!" Plex said in shock. "Spee, Spee, Spee."

"It's over, Plex." Davin said, coldly. He pointed his finger to the others. "Say goodbye to your friends and go away!"

Plex's eyes started to fill with tears; Davin didn't even make eye contact. With that said, Plex flew over to them and said his goodbyes to each of the three Pokemon.

Davin pointed to the sky. "GET OUT OF HERE! I never want to see you again!"

Plex slowly flew into the sky, not believing what had just happened. He looked back and saw the Pokemon waving silently.

He waved back and flew off into the clouds, never to be seen again.


	21. Chapter 21 - Vs Vistello

"Is that it?!" Davin asked himself, excitedly.

He checked his Poketch to make sure. "It is! Fulgetra City!"

Without wasting time, Davin took off towards the gym.

* * *

Davin opened the doors to the gym. "Hello?" He called. "I'm here for a gym battle."

"Well, you've come to the right place." A male voice said. With the sound of a clap, the gym lights turned on to reveal a regular battlefield.

"Welcome to the Fulgetra gym!" The male voice turned out to be a 24 year old man. "I'm the gym leader, Vistello."

"Nice to meet ya. My name's Davin." He took his place on the battlefield. "I'm ready when you are."

The ref. stood in the center of the field. "The battle between Gym Leader, Vistello, and the challenger, Davin, will now begin! This will be a 3-on-3 battle! Only the challenger may substitute!" He raised both of his flags. "Begin!"

"Before we start, Davin, I just want to let you know that I'm not a pushover like the other gym leaders you've fought."

Davin was confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"You'll see." Vistello threw his Poke ball. "Let's go, Rotom!" An orange creature with lightning bolt-shaped plasma rods levitated in mid-air when it came out. Davin opened his Pokedex.

"Rotom, the Plasma Pokemon. Its electric-like body allows it to take control of electric appliances to cause mischief."

"I've never heard of a Pokemon that can do that." Davin threw his Poke ball. "I choose you, Aduro!"

"Char!" It said, ready for battle.

"Rotom, use Charge Beam!" It rubbed its lightning rod shaped hands together and released an electrical beam.

"Aduro, counter with Will-O-Wisp!" The Charge Beam was so fast that Aduro was hit before it could attack. Davin gasped. "Are you okay?" It was a bit stunned, but it was fine.

"Rotom, Confuse Ray!" A ball of light appeared over Rotom's head and it was thrown at Aduro, making it sway in confusion.

"Oh no!" Davin said.

"Uproar!" Rotom screeched loudly as blue sound waves erupted into Aduro's ears.

Davin covered his ears. "Aduro, fight back!" It was still confused and it just swayed mindlessly.

"Now! Dark Pulse!" Dark circles escaped from its body and Aduro went flying, hitting the ceiling and fainting when it fell.

The ref raised his right flag. "Chimchar is unable to battle! Rotom wins!"

Davin was speechless. "Wow. I've never seen Aduro get taken down so easily." He held out its Poke ball and it disappeared inside. "Now that I've seen Rotom's power, I know who to send out next!" He threw a Poke ball. "Let's go, Bark!"

"Gro." It said.

"Rotom, use Confuse Ray!"

"Bark, dodge it and use Leaf Storm!" With a flip, Bark evaded it and used its move, which hit Rotom. "Now use Quick Attack!" Bark dashed towards Rotom, but he passed right through it like it was thin air. "Oh, that's right. Normal attacks won't work on Ghost types like Rotom."

"Use Uproar!"

"Don't let it succeed, Bark! Focus Punch!" Its right fist glowed and it punched Rotom in the face, making it fall down and faint. *A/N: Just this once, let's just pretend Focus Punch worked despite the fact that fighting moves don't work on ghost types*

The ref raised his left flag. "Rotom is unable to battle! Grovyle wins!"

"Excellent work, Bark!" Davin praised.

Vistello returned Rotom. "That Grovyle's somethin'. Rotom has never been defeated that quickly." He threw his next Poke ball. "Okay, Electrode! Show em' what you're made of!"

"Elec-trode." The Poke ball shaped Pokemon said when it came out.

Davin wasn't worried. "If we defeated Rotom, Electrode shouldn't be no different! Bark, use Pound!"

"Electrode, Sonic Boom!" The large ball started to spin rapidly as multiple shock waves were released at Bark.

"Use Quick Attack to dodge, then use Focus Punch!" Bark sprinted from one side of the field to the other, jumped up, and dived down with its fist out.

Vistello smirked. "Hyper Beam!"

An orange ball formed in Electrode's mouth and transformed into a beam that struck Bark directly.

"Aah! Bark, can you stand up?!" Davin cried. It tried and was almost successful, but it immediately collapsed and fainted.

The ref raised his right flag. "Grovyle is unable to battle! Electrode wins!"

Somewhat disappointed, Davin returned Bark. "You were great. Take a good rest." He took out his last Poke ball. "I'm counting on you." Throwing it, he said, "Come on out, Quake!"

"Phanpy, Phan." She said.

"Since Quake's a Ground type, Vistello's electric attacks won't work against it." He frowned for a second. "Though I'm a bit worried about his non-Electric attacks..."

Vistello pointed foward. "Electrode, Use Rollout!"

"You use Rollout too, Quake!"

Both Pokemon rolled towards each other, but with Electrode being bigger in size, it sent Quake crashing into the ceiling. When she fell back down, Quake shook herself to try and stay strong.

"Quake, use Rock Smash!" She twirled her trunk rapidly, rocks flying out from it.

"Sonic Boom!" Both attacks canceled each other after each hit.

"Now's my chance!" Davin thought. "Use Attract!" Quake whipped her trunk, sending a heart out. It exploded into multiple hearts when it made contact, but Electrode was unaffected.

"Ha!" Vistello chuckled. "I thought even you knew that Electrode is genderless, making moves like Attract useless against it."

"That was a part of the plan!" smirked the boy.

"Huh?"

Davin pointed foward. "Quake, use Last Resort!" With a sudden blast of light, Electrode flew backwards into Vistello and knocked him down with it.

The ref. raised his left flag. "Electrode is unable to battle! Phanpy wins!"

"_Worked like a charm!_" Davin thought.

Vistello returned Electrode and held his final Poke ball in his hand. "You've made it this far, Davin. But now... it all ends here!" He threw the Poke ball. When it opened, a mouse-like Pokemon appeared, having red spots on its cheeks with pointy ears and a tail shaped like a lightning bolt.

"A Pikachu!" Davin said. He took out his Pokedex for more info.

"Pikachu, the Mouse Pokemon. By storing electricity in its cheeks, Pikachu can release powerful electric attacks."

"Well, electricity isn't going to work on my Phanpy! Quake, let's end that Pikachu with Rollout!"

Vistello smirked. "Pikachu, use Double Team!" It split into copies of itself, and when Quake made contact with one of them, it disappeared.

"Quake, use Rock Smash to find the real one!" She slammed the ground, one time after the other, every Pikachu copy disappearing. The original, however, was no where in sight. "Where'd it go?" He looked around to try and find it.

"Quick Attack!" From out of the blue, Pikachu hit Quake with full force.

"Amazing." Davin silently complemented.

"Now use Swift!" Pikachu's tail glowed and multiple stars were released from it.

"Counter with your Rock Smash!" The stars destroyed every rock that was thrown and Quake was bombarded by them. "_This Pikachu is strong. I don't know how much longer Quake can last._"

"Now, Pikachu, Grass Knot!"

"Grass Knot?!"

Pikachu's eyes glowed green and grass suddenly appeared underneath Quake's feet. Two blades of it tied themselves into a knot and constricted her feet, making her unable to move.

"Use your Rollout to get out of it!" The knot suddenly tossed her towards Pikachu, where the mouse caught her in its hands.

"Swift!" Pikachu hit Quake with its tail with stars added as a bonus.

"_Ugggh!_" Davin thought. "_None of her moves are getting through!_"He clenched his fists. "_I guess... maybe I should throw in the towel too save myself the embarassment._" His thoughts were interrupted when Quake was knocked into him by Pikachu's Quick Attack. He looked at her sternly.

"Listen, Quake... How about we forfeit and go to the next gym?"

"Phan?!" She asked in shock.

"It's obvious that this Pikachu is a lot stronger than we anticipated... I don't think we can win here." Hearing this, Quake stared angrily at Pikachu and jumped out of his arms. "Quake! It's over. There's no way we can win!"

Quake let out a cry and slammed her foot into the ground, causing a white energy beam to slice open the ground and head straight towards Pikachu.

"What the?!" Vistello said in shock. Pikachu was hit by the strange energy beam and it immediately fainted.

The ref raised his left flag. "Pikachu is unable to battle! Phanpy wins! The match goes to the challenger, Davin!"

Davin just stood there, mouth hanging open. "Quake... how did...?" The Phanpy ran up to him and jumped into his arms. "Quake? How were you able to learn Fissure at that exact moment?"

"Phan. Phanpy, Phan." She responded happily.

Still dumbfounded by his lost, Vistello returned Pikachu and walked up to Davin. "Well... I can't believe i'm saying this, but...you defeated me."

"I'm just as stunned as you are." Davin admitted.

Vistello reached into his pocket. "Well, nonetheless, I hereby grant you..." He revealed a badge that was in the shape of a storm cloud. "The Static Badge!"

Davin took the badge from him. "Thanks alot, Vistello!"

He held the badge into the air. "Surprisingly... I got the Static Badge!"


	22. Chapter 22 - A Ranch Encounter

"Can you believe it, Prof. Cypress? I got three badges!" Davin said over the video phone.

"Yes, that is impressive. You've certainly have come a long way, Davin."

He blushed a little. "Well, I don't like to brag..." Right then, something occurred to him. "Before I forget, Professor, has your nephew sent you any progress reports about his journey?"

"As a matter of fact, he informed me 2 days ago that he already has all eight badges."

Davin's mouth dropped. "Eight badges already?!"

The Professor laughed. "I'm only kidding. He said he only has four."

Davin held his heart. "Don't joke around like that. It's not funny."

After chatting with her for about a minute, he left the Pokemon Center and carried on.

Davin checked his Poketch for the next gym location. "Vermis City is next!" He declared to himself. "With my luck, I'll get that badge for sure!"

* * *

Sometime later, he stopped walking to notice a large plantation filled with tons of Pokemon.

"Whoa! I've never seen so many Pokemon in one place." He said in amazement. He walked into the gates to check it out, but he was immediately stopped by a large ice sphere exploding in front of him. "What was that?"

A Mamoswine caught his gaze as the large Pokemon stared at him in anger. "Why'd you attack me like that? What did I do?"

"Mamo!" It bellowed. Its tusks glowed purple and it stampeded towards him.

Davin threw a Poke ball. "Bark, stop that Mamoswine with Leaf Storm!"

"Grovyle!" It said as it began charging power. Mamoswine came closer, but Bark immediately released its leaves, causing Mamoswine to groan when it was hit.

"Now, Focus Punch!" One punch to the head made Mamoswine collapse and faint.

"Good work!" He said.

"Oh no! Mamoswine!" A voice shouted. A little girl came out and she rushed to its side. "Are you okay?"

"Ma...mo..." It weakly replied.

The girl turned her gaze to Davin. "Why'd you hurt Mamoswine like that?!"

"What choice did I have? It attacked me first." He tried to protest.

"You're gonna pay for this!" She took out a Poke ball. "Go, Swinub!"

"Swi!" The pig Pokemon snorted.

"Use Ice Shard on those bullies!" Swinub released a barrage of ice from its mouth, which pelted Davin and Bark and made them guard themselves with their arms.

"Use Ancient Power!" A white sphere formed in its mouth and it was launched.

"Bark, counter with Quick Attack!" It slid past Swinub's attack and rammed into it.

"Swinub!" The girl shouted.

"Swi...Swinub..." It said in pain.

"Okay! That's enough!" A voice said. A man walked towards the little girl. "Belivia. Are you causing trouble again?"

She shook her head. "No, daddy." She pointed to Davin. "This bad person hurt Mamoswine and I was only trying to help."

"No, no, no! You got it all wrong!" Davin protested. "I was curious about this place and I decided to check it out. Then, out of nowhere, your Mamoswine attacked me."

"Ohhhhhh." The man said, understanding the situation.

* * *

After the commotion, Belivia's father invited Davin in to explain.

"I'm so sorry about that. You see, Mamoswine is very protective of our farm and it tends to attack strangers that enter."

"It's okay. I understand." Davin smiled.

"Well, I'm glad. My name is Talbot. And this is my daughter, Belivia."

"I'm really sorry I attacked you before." She apologized.

"Don't worry. I know you were just looking out for Mamoswine." A thought occurred to him. "So, I'm curious. Why do you have so many Pokemon around here?"

"Because this is a Pokemon ranch."

Davin looked confused. "Pokemon ranch?"

"It's a farm where Pokemon are bred and taken care of." Belivia explained.

"That's right." Talbot said. "But at times, we also act as a Pokemon daycare."

"Really?"

He nodded. "People leave their Pokemon here for a certain amount of time and we take care of them and help them grow."

"What do you mean by 'grow'?"

"We use the Pokemon we have here to battle them and help them get stronger." Belivia said.

"Wow." Davin was getting interested by this.

"And we also raise Pokemon eggs." Talbot added.

"Pokemon eggs?"

He nodded. "That's how all Pokemon are born." He stood up from his chair. "Would you like to see?"

"I'd love too!"

They entered a room in the back, where a whole bunch of eggs were seen.

"Whooooa! Amazing!" Davin exclaimed.

"Isn't it?" Belivia said. "Most of the eggs are from Pokemon we have here at the ranch."

Davin turned to her. "So I'm guessing the Swinub you have came from an egg?"

"Mm-hmm. The egg came from the Mamoswine you fought." Right then, Belivia brightened. "I know! Davin, will you have a battle with me?"

"A battle?"

"Yes. I plan on becoming a Pokemon breeder one day and I want to learn how to understand Pokemon more. And what other way to do that than to battle with them?"

Davin nodded. "All right! You got yourself a deal! Though I have to warn ya... it won't be easy to win."


	23. Chapter 23 - A Rare Eggs-perience

The battle took place out front in the grass fields.

"Okay, Davin! Don't be surprised if I beat you." Belivia said.

"Don't worry about that." He joked.

Belivia threw her Poke ball. "I choose you, Pineco!"

"Pine." The pine cone shaped Pokemon said. Davin checked Pineco's data with his Pokedex.

"Pineco, the Bagworm Pokemon. It likes to make its shell thicker by adding layers of tree bark to protect itself from predators."

"Isn't it cute?" Belivia asked. "This one hatched from an egg that was from a Forretress we took care of."

"Well, cuteness isn't gonna win this battle." He threw his Poke ball. "I choose you, Quake!"

"Phanpy. Phan, phan." It said.

"Wow! Your Phanpy is so cute!" Belivia ran over and hugged it. "Hi there."

"Phanpy." Quake said, enjoying Belivia rubbing her back.

Davin chuckled. "Uh... Aren't we supposed to be battling?"

"Oh, yeah." She ran back to her position. "Okay, Pineco, use Pin Missile!" It rotated itself and released a barrage of needles.

"Quake, repel it with Rollout!" The needles bounced off Quake as she rolled towards Pineco and made contact with it.

"Are you okay, Pinceo?" Belivia asked.

"Pineco." It said while getting up.

"Okay. Use Toxic Spikes!" Pineco tightened itself and released purple spikes that scattered beneath Quake.

"Ha! That didn't do anything. Quake, use Rock Smash!" It ran to Pineco with its trunk glowing.

Belivia stood on one foot, pointed towards the sky, and said, "Use Selfdestruct!" Pineco immediately exploded, which sent Quake flying into the air. When the smoke cleared, Quake fell to the ground and fainted.

Pineco fainted as well, due to the fact that Selfdestruct causes the user to faint afterwards.

"I guess it's a tie." Belivia said.

"Yeah..." Davin agreed.

* * *

"Okay! Second battle!" Belivia threw her next Poke ball. "Let's go, Budew!"

"Dew!" The Grass Pokemon said.

Davin threw his next Poke ball. "Aduro, I choose you!"

"Chimchar!" Aduro said. Suddenly, it collapsed to its hands and knees.

"Aduro, what's wrong?"

Belivia giggled. "That's the effect of Pineco's Toxic Spikes. When the opponent is switched out, the next Pokemon gets poisoned."

Davin gasped. "No way."

"Way." She pointed forward. "Budew, use Extrasensory!" Budew's eyes glowed yellow and it fired a beam from them.

"Aduro, fight back with Will-O-Wisp!" Feeling weak, Aduro raised his right arm and blue flames were sent forward. Budew's Extrasensory deceased the flames and it hit Aduro, making Davin gasp.

"Now, Budew! Use Energy Ball!" Budew's bud opened and formed a light green ball that was sent forward.

"Flame Wheel, go!" Fighting the poison, Aduro coated itself in fire and rolled toward it. Budew's Energy Ball exploded, but Aduro was unaffected.

"Budew, use Grass Knot!" A giant vine whipped out of the ground, making Aduro trip over it and causing its Flame Wheel to cancel.

"Quick! Use Rain Dance!" Budew's bud opened again and fired a ball of water towards the sky, causing rain clouds to form and make rain. The Chimchar held its head in fear.

"Oh no! Rain Dance weakens Fire attacks!" Davin realized.

"Budew, finish this with Extrasensory!" The yellow beam hit Aduro and it fainted, Davin gasping in shock.

The rain clouds disappeared as Belivia returned Budew. "This is fun!"

Davin returned Aduro. "I never would've expected Aduro to get taken down by a Grass Pokemon..." He threw his last Poke ball. "All right, Bark! It's your turn!"

"Gro." The Wood Gecko Pokemon said.

Belivia kissed her Poke ball and threw it. "Let's do it, Swinub!"

"Swi, Swi!" It said.

"This time, Swinub isn't getting off so easy. Bark, use your Pound attack!" It rushed over and smacked Swinub with the leaf on its head.

"Swinub, use Ice Shard!"

"Quick Attack!"

Bark rammed Swinub with its head before it could do anything.

Belivia gasped. "It's fast!"

"Now use Focus Punch!"

"Swinub, use Icy Wind!" It was able to prevent Bark from succeeding by firing a wind of ice before it could move. "Ancient Power!" Swinub threw the white sphere it generated and it caused Bark to fall back.

"_Wow. Swinub didn't seem this strong when we first met it._" Davin thought.

"Now, Swinub! Ice Shard!"

"Bark, use Quick Attack to dodge, then use Leaf Storm!" It leapt up, avoiding Ice Shard, and began charging in mid-air.

"Now's our chance, Swinub!" Belivia pointed to the sky. "Ice Shard!"

"Grooo!" Bark shouted when it was hit. It fell to the ground.

"Good job, Swinub!" Belivia praised.

"Swi, Swi!" Swinub jumped up and down and its body started to glow.

"What's wrong, Swinub?" She asked in worry.

"Swinub's okay, Belivia." Davin said. "It's just evolving."

Swinub grew bigger and bigger by the minute and when the light faded, it was in a new form.

"Wow! Swinub's a Piloswine now!" Belivia cheered. Davin took out his Pokedex.

"Piloswine, the Swine Pokemon, and the evolved form of Swinub. With its shaggy coat making it unable to see, it uses its nose to check its surroundings."

"Awesome!" Davin said.

"Oh, boy!" Belivia cheered. "Okay, Piloswine! Ancient Power!" Its ears spread out as it fired the white sphere.

"Bark, dodge it!" It collapsed to the ground, holding its arm, and it got hit.

Davin gasped. "I forgot about Toxic Spikes!"

Piloswine suddenly bellowed and started glowing again, making Belivia gasp.

"What?! Twice in one day?!" Davin exclaimed.

Piloswine grew even more humongous than before and a familiar form took its place.

Belivia screamed with happiness. "Now Piloswine's a Mamoswine! So cool!" Davin checked his Pokedex to see what was going on.

"Mamoswine, the Twin Tusk Pokemon, and the evolved form of Piloswine. It can only evolve from Piloswine if it has learned the move, AncientPower."

"So, that explains why it evolved so fast." Davin realized.

"Okay, Mamoswine! Take Down!"

"Bark, use Quick Attack!"

Both were about to strike until a voice said, "Enough!"

Everyone turned their heads to see Talbot walk towards them. "I think that's enough battling for one day, don't you think?"

"But daddy! I was about to win!" Belivia whined.

"There'll be other battles, sweetheart." He said with a smile.

* * *

Later that day, Davin was ready to leave.

"It was an honor to have you as a guest, Davin." Talbot said.

"Yeah. And thanks to you my Swinub is now a powerful Mamoswine!" Belivia hugged it as it brushed its nose against her face affectionately.

"It was my pleasure." Davin said.

"Oh!" Belivia suddenly said. "Daddy..." She whispered something to him.

"Why, that's an excellent idea!" He said.

"What's an excellent idea?"

"Belivia wants you to have a Pokemon egg."

Davin gasped with surprise. "R-Really?"

Belivia nodded. "Since you helped my Swinub evolve, I think we should give you one as a thank-you present."

Davin smiled. "I'd love to have one. Thank you so much!"

They all walked into the back of the house, where the eggs were. "Pick whichever one you like." Talbot told him.

Davin searched the entire room, hardly containing himself, when one particular egg caught his eye. It had the colors blue and black in a strange pattern.

Davin nodded to himself. "I choose this one!"

"It's yours." Talbot said.

Davin grabbed the case the egg was placed in.

"I can't believe it... My own Pokemon egg!"


	24. Chapter 24 - The Flames Keep On Burning

Davin continued walking towards Vermis City, aiming for his fourth badge. He stared at his new Pokemon egg. "Wow! I can't wait to see what kind of Pokemon's inside it."

Right then, when he looked up from it, a familiar face was walking towards him.

"Jett!" He exclaimed.

"Well, what's up, Davy?" He said with a smirk.

Davin frowned. "That's getting really old, you know that?"

Jett chuckled, but then he noticed what was in his hands. "Is that a Pokemon egg?"

Davin nodded. "I visited a Pokemon ranch just a few miles back and they gave me an egg for helping a little girl's Swinub evolve all the way into a Mamoswine."

Jett stifled a laugh. "Yeah, right! There's no way you could make a Pokemon evolve two times in one day."

"It's true!" He protested.

"Whatever. I'm outta here." Jett started to walk away, but Davin stopped him.

"Why don't we battle? Then you can see how much stronger I've gotten since last time."

Jett grinned. "Sure. I've been meaning to challenge you to a rematch ever since you beat my Cyndaquil."

"All right! Let's do this!"

* * *

When they took their battle positions, Davin put his egg in his backpack so that it wouldn't get damaged.

"Just to warn ya, Davy, I'm positive you won't end up with the same results."

"Yeah? We'll see." Davin threw his Poke ball. "I choose you, Bark!"

"Grovyle!" It called out.

"Time for revenge!" Jett threw his Pokeball. "Quilava, let's go!"

"Quilava!" It cried.

Davin gasped. "Hey! Your Cyndaquil evolved!"

"Yep. Now it's twice as stronger than before."

"Well, let's just see about that. Bark, use Quick Attack!"

"Quilava, Flame Wheel!"

They went straight at each other, but due to Quilava's body being covered in fire, Bark was hurt by it.

"That looked a whole stronger than when it was a Cyndaquil." Davin noted.

"Swift attack, let's go!" Quilava jumped in mid-air and fired numerous stars from its mouth that caused damage to Bark.

"Don't take that, Bark! Use Focus Punch!"

As Bark came closer to Quilava, Jett shouted, "Counter with Overheat!"

"Uh-oh!"

Quilava turned dark red and fired a powerful flame that hit Bark directly. It then fell to the ground and fainted.

"No way!" Davin shouted in horror.

"Ha! I told you." Jett bragged.

Davin growled. "Return, Bark!" Jett recalled Quilava as well. "This isn't over!" He threw the Poke ball. "Aduro, I choose you!"

"Chimchar!" It said.

Jett threw his next one. "All right, Poliwhirl, I choose you!"

"Poli!" It said. Davin gasped and took out his Pokedex.

"Poliwhirl, the Tadpole Pokemon. The skin on most of its body is moist and the swirl pattern on its belly subtly undulates. Staring at it is said to cause drowsiness."

"A Water type against a Fire type is a tough match, but I'm pretty sure Aduro can handle it." He said to himself.

Jett pointed his finger foward. "Poliwhirl, use BubbleBeam!" It jumped and fired an array of bubbles from its fists.

"Aduro, dodge it and use Brick Break!" The chimp avoided it and went at Poliwhirl with its glowing fist.

"Mud Shot!" Poliwhirl spewed a blast of mud from the center of the spiral pattern on its stomach and Aduro fell to the ground when it made contact.

"_This Poliwhirl's a lot stronger than I expected._" Davin thought. "Aduro, use Flame Wheel!"

"Use BubbleBeam!"

Both attacks collided; Aduro struggled to keep pushing forward, but the result was an explosion that canceled out its Flame Wheel and made it hit the ground.

"Aduro!" Davin shouted in worry.

Jett chuckled. "Guess Aduro's not as strong as it used to be."

"What did you say?!"

"Come on, Davy. Look at it. It's obvious that it hasn't grown any." Jett smirked. "I guess you're not the same winner I thought you were."

Davin became angry. "Come on, Aduro! Let's show Jett that you _are_ stronger than before!" Hearing those words, Aduro pushed itself up and got back into its fighting mode. "Just remember, Aduro: I believe in you!"

Suddenly, Aduro let out a loud cry and it started to glow.

"No way!" Jett said.

"Poliwhirl?!" Poliwhirl said in surprise.

Davin only smiled with his mouth open.

Aduro began to grow along with the flame on its rear turning into a long tail and many other features. Eventually, it stopped glowing and a new powerful looking form took its place.

"MonfernOOOOOOOOO!" It cried out.

"All right, Aduro! You evolved!" Davin shouted. He took out his Pokedex.

"Monferno, the Playful Pokemon, and the evolved form of Chimchar. To intimidate its foes, it stretches the fire on its tail to make itself appear bigger. It uses ceilings and walls to launch aerial attacks and its tail is but one weapon."

"This is so great!" Davin said. "Okay, Aduro! Let's see your new powerful Flame Wheel!" The flame on its tail grew bigger and it covered itself in flames as it rolled toward Poliwhirl.

"Poliwhirl, stop it with Hydro Pump!" It shot a huge blast of water and it made a direct hit, but Aduro burst through it and landed a hit on to Poliwhirl's body.

"All right! Way to go!"

Jett growled. "I'm not giving up! Poliwhirl, BubbleBeam!" When the bubbles came closer, a light blue sphere formed in Aduro's hands and it fired a huge beam from it that popped the bubbles and hit Poliwhirl as it passed.

"Wow, Aduro! You've learned how to use Focus Blast! That's cool!" Davin said, his excitement growing by the second.

"Monferno!" Aduro leaped for joy.

Seeing this, Jett smiled a little. He held out a Poke ball. "Enough, Poliwhirl. Return!" The Tadpole Pokemon disappeared inside.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Let's just call it a draw. Okay, Davin?"

He was kind of shocked. "But why?"

"With the power that Aduro holds now, I don't think I can beat it at my current level." Jett began to walk away. "When I get some more training done, we'll battle again."

"Uh... okay?" Davin said, confused. He knelt down to Aduro. "You were awesome. Your new strength is so cool!"

"Mon." It nodded.

"With that power, I just know we'll win the Varex league for sure!" Davin high-fived his newly evolved friend and they went on their way.


	25. Chapter 25 - Electrike Snatch

"Okay, guys! It's time to dig in!" Davin handed each of his Pokemon a bowl of Pokemon food and they began eating while he sat at a table and began eating his own lunch.

He placed his egg on the table. "Once you hatch, you'll be able to eat Pokemon food just like they do."

While everyone was eating, they didn't know that something in the bushes was eyeing them. The creature had a certain gleam in its eyes as it stared.

* * *

Later when everyone was finished, Davin returned them to their Poke balls. "All right. Time to get movin'." He reached for his egg, but something zoomed past him in front of his eyes and swiped it.

"What the?" He exclaimed. A Pokemon with green fur and yellow stripes on its tail and head held Davin's egg on its back. "An Electrike!" He opened his Pokedex.

"Electrike, the Lightning Pokemon. By storing electricity in its fur, it can stimulate its muscles to heighten its reaction speed."

"Cool. Um... Electrike. Can I have my egg back?" It answered by running away with it. "Hey! Come back here, you little thief!" He shouted as he ran after it.

Electrike was fast so it easily outran him, making Davin fall behind.

"Ugh! I'll never catch up to it at this pace." Davin threw a Pokeball. "Bark, catch up with that Electrike and get the egg back!"

"Gro!" It said as it dashed after it. Bark used the trees as its speed source as it leapt from one to another.

"Bark, when you find an opening, use Leaf Storm!" Davin called to it. After a few quick leaps, Bark released the commanded move only to have Electrike use Protect and block it.

"Darn it!" Davin threw another Poke ball. "Quake, use Fissure to stop Electrike!"

"Phanpy!" It shouted as it slammed the ground to form a tremor. Electrike got caught and it fell underground; Bark swiftly retrieved the egg before it fell down with it.

The Grovyle went back to Davin and handed him the egg. "Thanks, Bark. You and Quake were a big help."

"Triiiiike..." Electrike said weakly in the hole caused by Fissure. All three of them looked down it and saw Electrike flinching a little.

"Electrike, are you okay?" Davin asked. It took one look at him and became mad; it let out a loud cry and sudden noises could be heard from the bushes.

"What's going on?" Davin thought. Big orange mouse-like Pokemon jumped out of the bushes and started growling at Davin and his Pokemon.

"Raichu, the Mouse Pokemon, and the evolved form of Pikachu. It becomes aggressive if it stores too much electricity in its body and releases it from its tail."

One of the Raichu helped Electrike out of the hole.

"These Raichu must be Electrike's friends." Davin said.

"Trike! Elec-trike!" It barked at him.

He understood what it said. "No, Electrike! I won't give you the egg! It belongs to me." Electrike sneered and called out a battle cry, making all the Raichu charge at him.

"Quick, Bark! Use Leaf Storm!" Half of them were blown away with its attack.

"Quake, use your Rock Smash!" She got rid of the second half by repeatedly throwing rocks.

"Trike!" Davin heard. He looked and saw Electrike in the air over his head and it jumped on him, trying to seize the egg.

"Get off! It's not yours!" Davin shouted as he struggled to keep it in his hands. One of the Raichu used Thunderbolt and shocked Davin, making him lose his grip; Electrike snatched it in its mouth and ran off into the distance with the Raichu following it.

"Urrrgh." He said, trying to get up. "I don't get it. Why does Electrike want the egg so badly?" Bark and Quake helped him to his feet. "Well, whatever the reason, I'm not letting them get away!" Davin ran after them with his Pokemon right behind him.


	26. Chapter 26 - Birth By Strife

The Raichu and Electrike were in an open space in the forest as they looked at the egg.

"Trike, Electrike." It said happily.

"Rai, Rai!" The Raichu agreed.

"There you are!" A voice shouted. Everyone turned to see that Davin was back and super mad. "Give me back the egg, Electrike!" It guarded the egg along with the Raichu.

"Fine. Looks like we'll have to use force!" He threw a Poke Ball. "Aduro, get out here and use Focus Blast!"

"Monferno!" The monkey Pokemon shouted as it released its attack. Electrike and the Raichu used Discharge, colliding with Focus Blast and exploding.

"Now, Bark! Go through the smoke and get back the egg!" It leaped in and tried to retrieve it, but a Raichu noticed and attacked with Charge Beam, knocking it out of the smoke.

"Bark!" He shouted. Right then, the egg lit up.

Electrike came at them with its teeth sizzling with electricity.

"Quake, use Rollout!" Electrike bit her but, being a Ground type, she wasn't affected and tackled it. Two Raichu ran forward with their tails glowing white and they hit Quake together with full force.

"Quake!" Davin shouted. The egg lit up once more.

"Aduro, quick! Use Blaze Kick!" It jumped and aimed its foot, but the Raichu used Hyper Beam and made it fall to the ground.

"Aduro!" Davin shouted. The egg lit up again.

He clenched his fists together. "That's it! No more!" He ran straight towards them without protection.

"Grovyle!" Bark shouted in warning.

All of the Raichu and Electrike used Discharge on him, making him scream and stop for a moment.

"No... I can't... lose to them!..." He walked slower and slower towards them, not wanting to give in so easily. A Raichu came at him as it was surrounded by orange streaks and a purple sphere and charged into Davin, sending him screaming into the air and falling to the ground with force.

"Gro!/Phan!/Mon!" All of his Pokemon shouted as they ran over to see if he was okay.

Right then, the egg started glowing brightly. When they noticed, Electrike and the Raichu smiled happily and removed the case that the egg was held in.

As Davin stood to his feet, he saw the egg. "What the... I think..." He smiled. "It's hatching!"

The egg slowly began to take form as it began growing ears, feet, a tail, etc. When it stopped glowing, the egg became a Pokemon!

Electrike and the Raichu rejoiced and introduced themselves to the new Pokemon, but it ignored them and ran towards Davin.

"Trike! Electrike!" It called, telling it to come back.

The Pokemon was at Davin's feet and it smiled up at him.

"Wow!" Davin said as he took out his Pokedex.

"Riolu, the Emanation Pokemon. The aura that it emanates intensifies to alert others if it is afraid or sad. Though its body is lithe, it can cross three mountains and cross two canyons in one night."

"Cool!" Davin knelt down to it. "Nice to meet you, Riolu."

"Rio, Rio!" It said happily.

"Trike!" Electrike barked. "Trike. Electrike."

Davin stared at it. "What are you saying, Electrike? Do you want Riolu for yourself and the others?" They all nodded. "Well, why don't you try finding your own egg instead of stealing one?"

Electrike shook its head and pointed a paw towards Riolu. "Electrike! Trike!"

"Olu!" The Pokemon spread its arms apart as if to protect Davin.

Angry, Electrike ordered the Raichu to attack.


	27. Chapter 27 - The Strength Of Comradeship

All of the Raichu used Discharge.

"Riolu, dodge it!" It jumped high into the air and evaded it.

"Its agility is amazing." Davin commented as he took out his Pokedex.

"Riolu can use the following moves: Detect, Force Palm, Counter, and Sky Uppercut."

"Awesome moves! All right, Riolu, use Force Palm!" It ran up to a Raichu, pressed its hand against its chest, and exerted a huge light-green blast that knocked it into the others.

"Nice! Now use Sky Uppercut!" Riolu's right arm glowed light blue and it punched the other Raichu's with amazing force. Davin couldn't help but smile at his new Pokemon's power.

Electrike took aim towards Davin while using Thunder Fang. "Riolu, Counter!" It folded its arms into a cross and its body glowed red, which made Electrike take its own attack. They all couldn't move.

"Okay, guys! What do you say we attack them all at once?" Davin grinned. All of them nodded.

"Okay! Bark, use Quick Attack! Quake, use Rollout! Aduro, use Brick Break! And Riolu, use Sky Uppercut!"

All four of them charged at the Electric Pokemon with their attacks and sent them flying far away in the air into the distance.

* * *

"All right! You guys were excellent!" Davin picked up Riolu. "Especially you. For a hatchling, you're pretty powerful!"

"Rio!" It said as it hugged him tightly.

A thought suddenly occurred to the boy. "Hey, Riolu. Why'd you hatch so early?"

"Ri?" It questioned.

"Well, before I left the ranch where I got you from, the man said you wouldn't hatch for another week or so. Why'd you hatch early?" Davin then realized something. "Wait a minute. I noticed something... When each of us were attacked by the Raichu and Electrike, your egg started glowing. Does that mean... you hatched early to save us?"

Riolu nodded.

"Wow! Even as an egg, you knew we were your friends, right?"

"Rio." It nodded again.

Davin smiled. "Hey, Riolu? Why don't I give you a nickname?"

"Ri?"

"It's a special name that your friends call you. Would you like that?"

"Rio-lu!" It smiled and nodded.

"Okay. From now on, we'll call you Socius. Do you like that?" It nodded. "All right. That's what you'll be known as from now on."

Seeing as that they were now free from the crazy Electric types, Davin recalled all his Pokemon (save for Socius) and went on ahead.


	28. Chapter 28 - Twice The Surprise

"Okay, Socius! Use Sky Uppercut!"

It ran up to the block of wood that was being used for training and snapped it in half with a single uppercut.

"Awesome! Socius, you're really strong." Davin complemented.

"Riolu!" It thanked him.

Davin knelt down and patted it on the head. "One things for sure, I'm definitely using you in my Vermis City gym battle."

* * *

Later when Davin continued walking, a trainer came out of nowhere and pointed her finger at him.

"Are you a Pokemon trainer?" She asked.

"Yeah." Davin answered, a bit freaked out that she came from the bushes.

"Good." She took out a Poke ball. "My name's Clara and I challenge you to a battle!"

Davin grinned. "Okay. Let's do it!"

"But..." Clara added.

"But?"

"It'll be a double battle!"

Davin looked confused. "Double battle?"

"Yeah. Both of us use two Pokemon at once and when all Pokemon on either side faint, the battle's over."

Davin understood now. "Sounds cool to me."

Few seconds later, both were ready to start.

Clara threw her Poke balls. "Skiploom! Marowak! I choose you!"

"Maro!" Marowak grunted. Skiploom trilled as it came out.

"Interesting..." Davin said as he opened his Pokedex.

"Skiploom, the Cottonweed Pokemon. The bloom on top of its head opens and closes as the temperature fluctuates up and down."

"Marowak, the Bone Keeper Pokemon. After evolving from Cubone, Marowak overcomes the grief of losing its mother. It is said to communicate by pounding its large bone on boulders."

Davin threw his Poke balls. "Aduro! Bark! I choose you!"

"Monferno!" Aduro screeched.

"Grovyle!" Bark said.

"Skiploom, use Aerial Ace on Monferno!"

"Bark, shield Aduro and use Quick Attack!" It quickly leapt in front of Aduro and tackled Skiploom with fast speed. "Now, Aduro, use Flame Wheel!" It jumped out from behind and Bark and hit Skiploom directly with a blazing hot roll.

"Marowak, Bone Rush!" It tossed its bone and it struck Aduro in the head. "Skiploom, use Sleep Powder on Grovyle!" The bloom on Skiploom's head began to rotate and release green spores; Bark felt a bit hazy and it fell to the ground.

"Bark, get up!" Davin shouted.

"Now, Marowak! Ice Beam!" It fired light blue beams from its mouth and Bark was frozen solid.

Davin grunted. "Aduro, Blaze Kick on Skiploom! Now!"

"Use Protect, Marowak!" It shielded its partner and a green barrier reflected Aduro's kick.

"Oh no!"

Clara smiled. "Okay, you two! It's time to use Silver Storm!"

Davin blinked. "Silver Storm?"

Marowak created a Sandstorm with one swing of its bone while Skiploom used Silver Wind in combination with it. A blend of silvery powder and sand made its way toward its foe.

"Aduro, use your Flame Wheel to unfreeze Bark and get out of there!" The fire Pokemon struggled to get up, but Silver Storm hit both it and Bark and sent them into the air. When the Grovyle fell, the ice encasing it shattered and it fainted along with Aduro.

Davin ran towards them. "Are you two okay?" They were too weak to even respond.

"Well, that was a total failure." Clara said as she returned her Pokemon.

"How were you able to conjure up that Silver Storm move?"

"It's a combination of two moves. You should try it sometime." With that said, Clara walked off.

Davin thought for a moment. "A combination of two moves... Sounds interesting." He put his two Pokemon back in their balls and walked on.


	29. Chapter 29 - Vs Choga

"Beautiful! Simply... beautiful!" Davin looked beyond the city of Vermis, where his fourth badge awaited. "Look out, Vermis gym leader! Here I come to win!"

* * *

Davin opened the doors to the gym, but he was a bit surprised; the whole gym looked like a forest with everything filled with grass and trees. Right in the middle of it was a battlefield.

"What the heck?" Davin said to himself.

"Oh. You must be another challenger." A feminine voice said. Davin looked around, but he didn't see anyone. "Up here." He looked up and saw that she was in the tree that was next to him. She jumped down from the tree and introduced herself. "Please to meet you. I'm Choga, the Vermis gym leader."

"My name's Davin." He looked around. "Why does the whole gym look like a jungle?"

Choga giggled. "Well you see, I've always been fond of the rainforest ever since I was a little girl, so I decided to make my gym look like one."

"Oh." Davin nodded.

"So, shall we get started?"

"You bet!"

They both took their places on the field. The female referee came to the center. "The battle between the Gym leader, Choga, and the challenger, Davin, will now begin! This match will be 3-on-3! Only the challenger may switch his Pokemon. Begin!"

Choga threw her Pokeball. "I choose you, Drapion!"

"Dra!" The huge scorpion yelled.

"Whoa! A Drapion." Davin took out his Pokedex.

"Drapion, the Ogre Scorp Pokemon. Its claws give off a deadly poison and can take down its enemies with its brute strength."

"Well, brute strength or poison isn't gonna stop me!" He threw his Poke ball. "Aduro, you're on!" It screeched as it came out.

"Go and use Flame Wheel!"

"Catch it!" Drapion caught Aduro in its huge claws and canceled out its Flame Wheel. "Ice Fang!" Drapion's teeth glowed light blue and it chomped Aduro's head, leaving behind frozen ice.

"Now throw it and use Hyper Beam!" Aduro went flying and was hit in mid-air by the blast, making it crash to the ground.

"Aduro, are you all right?" Davin asked. It stood up as if nothing had happened. "Good. Now use Focus Blast!" Aduro formed a light blue sphere in its hands and it threw it at Drapion.

"Crunch!" Drapion opened its mouth and destroyed it with one snap of its jaws when the attack was close enough.

"No way!"

"Use Cross Poison!" Drapion crossed its arms and released an X-shaped poison from them.

"Charge through with Flame Wheel!" Aduro tried, but the poison was too strong and it pushed it back.

Davin grunted. "Return, Aduro!" With a quick flash, the Monferno disappeared. "Let's go, Socius!"

"Rio." It said when it came out.

Choga laughed a bit. "It's gonna take a lot more than a Riolu to beat my Drapion."

"Just you wait! You'll see Riolu's true power very soon." Davin pointed foward. "Force Palm!" Socius jumped up high and dived down with its hand in front of it.

"Catch it, Drapion!"

"Detect!" Socius's eyes glowed green and it spun around Drapion. It then put its hand to the scorpion's back and released tons of energy upon it, making Choga gasp.

Davin smirked. "Now use Sky Uppercut!"

"Drapion, Ice Fang!" Drapion came at full speed towards Socius as the latter did the same.

"Use Counter!" The second Drapion tried to bite Socius, it was knocked backwards into a tree. It slid to the ground, unconscious.

The ref raised her left flag. "Drapion is unable to battle! Riolu wins!"

Choga was speechless. "It's... not possible..."

"Nice job, Socius!" Davin said. The Riolu nodded to him.

Drapion was recalled to its Poke ball. "No matter!" Choga threw her second. "Come on out, Yanma!"

"Yan, Yan." It said.

"Go, Socius! Sky Uppercut!"

"Yanma, use Air Slash!" It flapped its wings and an air current formed into a light blue sphere, which it threw at Socius.

"Detect!" Socius moved its head to the side and jabbed Yanma in the abdomen. "Socius, return!" It quickly disappeared in the red light.

Another Poke ball was thrown. "Aduro, come on out and use Blaze Kick!" When it appeared, it tried to obey the command but it suddenly stopped and held its arm. "What's wrong, Aduro?"

Choga giggled. "Looks like Cross Poison has taken its toll. Now, Yanma! Wing Attack!" Its wings glowed and it struck Aduro with them.

"Come on, Aduro, you can fight it! Use Brick Break!" The Monferno was in too much pain to do anything.

"Now's our chance! Shadow Ball!" A dark ball of energy formed in its hands and it threw it; it exploded on contact with Aduro and the Fire/Fighting type fainted.

The ref raised her right flag. "Monferno is unable to battle! Yanma wins!"

Davin returned Aduro. "You were great. Take a good rest." He sent out his next one. "Quake, it's your turn now!"

"Phan!" She said.

"Rollout! Let's go!"

"Yanma, use Screech!" It released a loud hypersonic wave, but Rollout protected Quake from the sound and she made contact with the dragonfly.

"Now use Rock Smash!" Multiple rocks from the ground struck Yanma repeatedly.

"Yanma, counterattack with Air Slash!"

"Quake, use Attract!" Hearts came from Quake's wink at Yanma and it became infatuated with her. "Now use Rollout, non-stop!" Quake consecutively hammered another Rollout after another with Yanma not having a care in the world; eventually, Yanma fell to the ground and lost consciousness.

"Yanma is unable to battle! Phanpy wins!"

"_Just one more to go._" Davin thought.

Choga returned Yanma. "Now it's time to get serious!" She threw her last one. "Let's go, Masquerain!"

"Mas!" It trilled. Davin took out his Pokedex.

"Masquerain, the Eyeball Pokemon. The antenna on its head has eye patterns that confuses its foes, and its four wings allow it to hover in any direction."

"Looks strong. I'd better be careful."

"Masquerain, use Water Pulse!" Quake was hit by a sphere of water that generated on Masquerain's antenna.

"Quake, use Rollout!"

"Ice Beam, now!" A blast of cold energy struck Quake before she could do anything and she fainted.

"Phanpy is unable to battle! Masquerain wins!"

Quake was recalled. "All right, Socius! It's down to you!" The Riolu appeared once again from the Poke ball.

"Masquerain, use Gust!" A strong breeze of wind was created from its wings.

"Detect, Socius!" It got out of the way as the Gust zipped past it. "Force Palm, go!"

"Another Gust!" This time, Socius was knocked backwards by the forceful wind.

"Socius, are you okay?" It shook itself and stood to its feet.

"Ice Beam!"

"Dodge, then Sky Uppercut!" Socius evaded the beam and delivered an uppercut to the Bug/Flying type.

"Gust, Masquerain!"

"Force Palm, Socius! Go!" Socius evaded Gust for the second time and made another hit with the force it exerted from its palm.

Choga began to get angry. "I refuse to lose! Masquerain, use Aerial Ace!" It flew towards the Riolu with streaks of light running down its body.

Davin smiled. "It's over! Socius, Counter!" Socius' body glowed red; as soon as Masquerain made contact, it was blown backwards. The Eyeball Pokemon lyed there, motionless.

"Masquerain is unable to battle! Riolu wins! The victor is the challenger, Davin!"

"Yes! Way to go, Socius!" Davin cheered.

"Rio!" It smiled.

Choga returned Masquerain and walked up to Davin. "Congratulations, Davin. As proof of your victory, I give you..." She reached into her pocket and showed a badge that was in the shape of a cocoon that was clear white. "The Silk Badge!"

Davin took it from her. "Thank you so much, Choga!" He raised it into the air. "I got the Silk Badge!"

"Rio, Riolu!" Socius cheered with him.


	30. Chapter 30 - Rock N' Rolling Through

Davin gazed at his new Silk Badge along with the rest of them.

"I still can't believe it! Four badges!" He said. "And it's all thanks to my Pokemon."

He took out his Poketch for gym #5's location. "Caligo Town is up next. We'll knock it out of the park like we always do!"

While walking, Davin came across a steep hill that led to a mountain valley. "That's weird. What kind of place is this?" He looked at his Poketch and looked at the map app. "Oh. So this is Stonewall Valley." He zoomed in on a text that came with the location.

"**WARNING! Do not cross. Wild and dangerous Pokemon live here.**"

Davin scoffed. "I've encountered worse." He slid down the hill and went into the valley, not knowing what was coming to him.

* * *

He walked through the mountainous area, with nothing to hear but the sounds of his footsteps.

"It's so quiet. Where are the dangerous Pokemon the Poketch was talking about?" Little did he know that there _were_ Pokemon around and they were eyeing him every step of the way.

6 minutes into the walk, Davin came across the exit. "All that walking and not a single Pokemon. That warning must've expired or something."

One step towards the exit, an explosion set off in front of him and made him fall to the ground. "What was that?!" Three Golem jumped out of the ground and landed in front of him. Davin checked his Pokedex.

"Golem, the Megaton Pokemon. It sheds its skin once a year and is capable of blowing itself up, using the explosions to jump from mountain to mountain."

"So there _were _Pokemon here after all." Davin realized as he got to his feet. The Golem showed no mercy as they all used Rollout. "Looks like it's time to fight!" Davin threw a Poke ball. "Bark, use Leaf Storm on these Golem!"

"Grovyle!" It said as it released the Leaf Storm. The Golem lifted themselves into the air and slammed it into the ground.

"Bark, use Focus Punch!" It ran towards the Golem, but all three of them fired a Hyper Beam, knocing Bark into a boulder.

"Bark, return!" Davin called. "Looks like one Pokemon isn't going to be enough." He gathered three Poke balls in his hands and threw them. "Quake, Aduro, and Socius! Let's go!" All three were ready for battle. The Golem each used Fire Blast.

"Dodge them!" All three narrowly escaped in unison. "Aduro, use Focus Blast on the Golem in the center!"

"Monferno!" It called as it threw its generated sphere. The center Golem blocked it with its Defense Curl.

"Quake, use Rollout on the Golem on the right!" She rolled forward, but the Golem caught her in its arms and shot a Fire Blast right in her face.

Davin was getting annoyed. "Socius, Force Palm on the left Golem!" It ran at the target, but its Hyper Beam sent it flying in the air and hitting the ground.

"_These Golem are strong._" He thought. "_How can we beat 'em?_"

Aduro and Socius stood up, but Quake looked liked she was about to faint any second. Davin held up her Pokeball. "Take a rest, Quake. You've done enough."

"Phanpy!" She refused.

Davin sighed. "Why are you all so stubborn when it comes to battling?" The Golem teamed up for another triple Rollout. "Aduro, try to stop them with a Focus Blast!" The Golem busted right through the sphere and sent all three of them flying into another boulder, making Aduro and Socius lose consciousness.

Davin recalled both of them and was about to recall Quake, but she used Rollout before he could do something. "Quake, what are you doing?!" The center Golem released a Fire Blast and knocked her aside.

Quake stood up, but she started to breathe heavily.

"Come on, Quake. That's enough. There's no way you can survive their next few attacks." He held up her Poke ball again. "So why don't we just call it quits and run?"

A sharp look came across her face. She called out loudly and her body started to glow white.

"Quake!" Davin exclaimed. She began to grow bigger and bigger until the light faded.

"Donphaaaaaaaan!" She shouted.

"Whoa!" Davin said as he looked it up.

"Donphan, the Armor Pokemon. It has sharp, hard tusks and a rugged hide. The longer and bigger its tusks are, the higher the rank it has in its herd."

"Now we're talkin'!" Davin shouted. "All right, Quake! Show these Golem your new and improved Rollout!" She curled herself into a ball and rolled toward them at high speed; the Golem used Rollout as well, but they bounced off of Quake as she charged through them with ease.

"Awesome! Now use Rock Smash!" Her trunk glowed white and it released a barrage of rocks that damaged the Golem. Suddenly, Quake's mouth began to light on fire as she ran to the Golems and bit down on all three of them, causing their shells to have burnt marks.

"Hey! That was Fire Fang!" Davin said. Afterwards, the Golem grew terrified and fled.

"Quake, that was amazing!" Davin said as he rubbed her head.

"Don!" She smiled.

"I swear that you and the others keep getting stronger by the minute." He smiled as he returned her to her Poke ball. "And now... to Caligo Town!" He took off running through the exit.


	31. Chapter 31 - Unleashing Havoc

"Quake, use Attract!" The recently evolved Donphan blew a kiss towards Bark in the shape of a yellow heart. When it hit, Bark temporarily fell in love with her.

"Nice! Now use Fire Fang!" Quake bit Bark on his neck and threw him into the nearby tree, which knocked him out of his infatuation.

"Thanks for being Quake's training partner, Bark." Davin said as he returned Bark to his Poke ball. "You were great too, Quake." He returned her as well.

* * *

Sometime later, Davin continued along the route to Caligo Town. "I'm so psyched! When I get to the Varex League, I'm totally gonna show Jett what I'm made of!"

His thoughts were interupted when he noticed a group of people searching a nearby area. They wore odd clothes that had the letter 'H' on them. "Wonder what's going on." He thought aloud.

"Have you discovered anything?" A woman said as she walked towards the strange people. She wore a black dress that had the letter 'H' on it as well.

"No, ma'am." One of the males responded. "There seems to be no trace of the Azure flute."

"Azure flute?" Davin asked himself.

"Curses!" The woman said. "We need to keep searching. We must have that power in order to rule the world!"

"_Rule the_ _world?!_" Davin shouted in his head. "_Oh, I get it. These guys must be an evil organization like Team Rocket._" He had heard of Team Rocket from watching numerous news reports on television back home.

"Very well." The woman said. "Let's move on."

"Hold it!" Davin jumped down from the small cliff he was eyeing them from. "You're not going anywhere!"

"And who are you?" The woman asked.

"Why don't you introduce yourself first?" He said with anger.

"The name's Roshell, and you're trespassing in Team Havoc's territory."

"First of all, this open field doesn't belong to anyone! Second, why do you need to find this Azure flute so badly?"

"He knows too much." She ignored him. "Get rid of him!"

"Yes, ma'am!" The others said. All of them threw Poke balls, releasing a hoard of Golbat.

"When you're done, meet me at the helicopter." Roshell said as she walked away.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Davin called to her. The Golbat flew at Davin. "Aduro, I choose you!"

"Mon!" It said.

"Use Flame Wheel to get rid of these Golbat!" It curled itself into a ball and struck the Golbat as its body was engulfed in fire.

"Golbat, use Air Cutter!" They all said at once. Every Golbat flapped their wings as 'S' shaped blue energy winds slashed Aduro in a barrage.

"Aduro, no!" Aduro held its chest as it fell to its knees.

"Use Haze! Now!" They shouted. Smoke filled the air from the Golbats' mouth, causing Davin to cough. When the smoke cleared, they all had disappeared.

"Ugh! They got away." He complained. He knelt down to his Monferno. "You okay?"

"Mon." It nodded.

He returned Aduro to its Poke ball. "They're not getting away that easy!"

* * *

Davin ran through the forest as fast he could, desperately trying to find Team Havoc.

"They couldn't have gotten too far. I should be able to catch them." Just then, the trees began to rustle as a strong wind started blowing. "That must be them!"

Davin ran towards the direction of the wind and saw a huge helicopter about to take off; it had a big 'H' on it. "I gotta move!" He ran to the helicopter, but the wind that the propeller made was too strong. Davin shielded the wind from himself with his arms as the helicopter began to rise.

"They're not getting away!" Davin manually opened a Poke ball and his Grovyle appeared. "Bark, take me up to that helicopter!"

"Grovyle." He nodded. Bark grabbed Davin around the waist and started jumping from tree to tree, going higher and higher towards the helicopter. Just when it was about to take off, Bark leaped on to it and he and Davin held on to prevent from falling.

Inside the helicopter, Roshell was speaking to someone via video phone.

"It wasn't there?" A man said.

"No, sir." Roshell said. "The entire area was empty."

"Hmm... I could've sworn it would be there." He pondered." Nonetheless, there are more possible locations. I'll give you the one that's the closet."

Meanwhile outside of the plane, Davin and Bark were still hanging on.

"Bark, crawl down the side to the window." Davin held on to him as Bark scaled to the side, where Davin viewed them. "Who's that guy she's talking to?" He wondered.

"Okay, sir. We'll report there right away!" Roshell turned the video phone off. "All right! We're heading south to the Water Pyramid!"

"Yes, ma'am!" They all responded.

Not wanting to be patient, Davin ordered Bark to use Focus Punch on the window and they broke into the plane.

"You again?! I thought you all got rid of him!" Roshell yelled. They all just shrugged.

"I'm not letting you take over the world! Your evil plot stops here!"

"Says you!" She said as she threw a Poke ball. "Let's go, Exploud!"

"ExPLOOOOOOUD!" It yelled. Davin checked his Pokedex.

"Exploud, the Loud Noise Pokemon. Its roar in battle shakes the ground like a tremor and its howls can be heard from six miles away."

"Exploud, get rid of this pest with Hyper Voice!" It released hypersonic waves from its voice as it shouted. Both Davin and Bark went out of the way to dodge.

"Bark, use your Focus Punch!" Bark was in mid-attack until Roshell said, "Use Roar!" and Exploud emitted a loud noise, causing Bark to suddenly return to his Poke ball.

Davin took another Poke ball and threw it. "Socius, let's go!"

"Rio!" It said.

"Force Palm! Go!" Socius pressed its hand against Exploud's head and it released an energy that stunned it, making Roshell gasp.

"Now use Sky Uppercut!" It sent Exploud to the top of the helicopter with a smooth uppercut. It fainted when it landed.

"Impossible!" Roshell exclaimed.

"Nice work, Socius!" Davin grinned.

Roshell growled. She grabbed a remote, pressed the button on it, and the part of the floor Davin and Socius were standing on opened.

Davin fell from the helicopter, screaming as he went down. He held Socius in his arms tightly. They crash-landed into a tree and fell to the ground as Team Havoc's helicopter flew off.

The boy groaned. "Socius, are you alright?" It nodded and Davin recalled it to its Poke ball. He stared up at the sky.

"_Team Havoc..._" He thought. "_You haven't seen the last of me! You can bet on that!_"


	32. Chapter 32 - One Wing At A Time

Davin was enjoying a nice break with his Pokemon as they happily ate their lunch. While eating, all Davin could think about was winning his fifth badge.

"_I can't help but wonder what kind of Pokemon the gym leader will use._"He turned to his Pokemon. "_All of them are excellent battlers, but I still can't help but worry if they'll be good enough_."

A few minutes later, Davin returned his Pokemon and continued on his way to Caligo Town. Suddenly, he heard a strange cry.

"What could that be?" He wondered. He looked up into the sky and saw something falling towards him; the object impacted his face, causing him to fall with a thud.

"Ow! What the heck?" He groaned. A closer examination of the object revealed to him that it was actually a Wingull, which he used his Pokedex to look up.

"Wingull, the Seagull Pokemon. It soars high in the sky, riding on updrafts as a glider and it makes its nest on sheer cliffs at the sea's edge."

"If it lives by the sea, then how did it get all the way out here?" Davin thought.

"There you are, Wingull!" A voice shouted. A girl around Davin's age was running up to them and Wingull happily flew on to her shoulder. "I'm so sorry." She said, extending her hand to help Davin up. "Are you alright?"

Davin took her hand. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"My name's Elaine. And as you probably already met, this is my Wingull."

"Hi. My name's Davin. Nice to meet you."

* * *

A little later, they sat on the grass by a nearby river and started talking while Wingull ate some Pokemon food.

"You see, I caught that Wingull a few days ago and I've noticed that it had trouble flying." Elaine said. "So I've been training it every hour of every day so that it can learn how to fly properly."

"Wow. So, that's why Wingull fell on me before."

Elaine nodded. "You see, I'm planning on entering the Varex League with Wingull."

Davin couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Really? No way! I'm planning on entering the Varex League too."

"Wow! Then it looks like we have the same goal."

"Yeah. So how many badges have you gotten?"

Elaine seemed a bit embarrassed. "Well... I only have three. You see, I'm still practicing on my battle strategy and my last few gym battles didn't work out so well."

"Oh." Davin said.

"But don't let that fool ya!" She said, sounding more confident. "I'm still a pretty tough trainer!"

"Oh, really? How about proving it in a battle?" He said, getting to his feet.

"Anytime!" She answered, getting pumped.

Few seconds later, they stood about six feet away from each other on the grass near the river.

"Wingull, I want you to just watch because someday, I'll want you to battle."

"Wingull!" It said.

"So how's about 3-on-3? That's how I like to roll." Davin said.

"That's fine with me!" Elaine threw her Poke ball. "Come on out, Geodude!"

"Geodude!" The rock Pokemon said with a gruff voice.

"A Geodude! Cool!" Davin said as he checked the Pokedex.

"Geodude, the Rock Pokemon. It uses its arms to steadily climb steep mountain paths. When angered, it swings its fists in a raging manner."

"This'll be fun." Davin sent out his first one. "Alright, Socius! I choose you!"

"Rio!" It said, ready for battle.

"Whoa! You have a Riolu? That's a pretty rare Pokemon."

"Not only is it rare, but it's strong too." Davin pointed towards Geodude. "Socius, use Force Palm!" It waisted no time in running toward it with its hand out.

"Geodude, use Double-Edge!" It put its hands in an X-shape and tackled Socius hard.

"Sky Uppercut!" Socius took another run while its arm glowed.

"Geodude, use Strength!" Geodude's body became surrounded in a white aura and it flung a rock that it got out of the ground.

"Dodge it!" Socius jumped and the rock missed as it went under its feet. It landed a hit with Sky Uppercut and it sent Geodude into the air. "Now use Force Palm!"

"Geodude, Defense Curl!" It shielded its arms and Socius released a forceful energy from its hand, but Geodude only took half of the original damage that it normally would've. "Sandstorm!" Geodude created a huge sandstorm by gathering high air with its hands; Socius tried to stand its ground, but the Sandstorm was powerful.

"Socius, try to find Geodude and use Force Palm!" It was only able to take one small step at a time.

"Finish it with Double-Edge!" Geodude came from behind Socius and tackled him hard once again. When the Sandstorm cleared, Davin saw that his Riolu had fainted.

"Nice work, Geodude!" Elaine said.

"Geo!" It roared it triumph.

Davin returned his fallen Pokemon. "You were great, Socius. I'm really proud of you."

Elaine returned her Geodude as well and sent out her next Pokemon. "All right, Snorunt! It's your turn!"

"Snorunt!" The Ice Pokemon grinned. Davin looked it up.

"Snorunt, the Snow Hat Pokemon. It eats snow and ice to survive, gathering with other Snorunt to live in harmony."

Davin threw a Pokeball. "Okay, Quake! Come on out!"

"DonphAAAAAn!" She trumpeted.

"Ice against Ground? Bad choice! Snorunt, use Ice Shard!" It formed a small ice ball in front of its mouth and fired it.

"Quake, crush it with Fire Fang!" She bit into it and caused it to shatter into pieces.

"So that's why you chose Donphan." Elaine realized. "Well, it's going to take a lot more than that! Snorunt, use Shadow Ball!" A black and purple sphere formed in Snorunt's hands and it was thrown towards the foe.

"Charge through with Rollout!" Quake rolled straight forward, causing the Shadow Ball to be destroyed on contact, and she tackled Snorunt.

"Snorunt, are you alright?" She asked.

"Sno... runt!" It said, getting to its feet.

"All right, Quake! Use Rock Smash!"

"Protect, Snorunt!"

Quake charged at Snorunt with its trunk glowing, but a green shield formed around it and caused Quake to be knocked backwards when she made contact with it. Davin was a bit shocked.

"Now use Ice Shard!" With a short spin, Snorunt released its move and Quake was hit again.

"Quake, use Rollout then follow up with Fire Fang!"

"Snorunt, Protect once more." The same result happened. "All right! Let's wrap this up with Blizzard!" Snorunt began to charge energy and it released a powerful blizzard from its mouth, causing Quake to get hit and fall unconscious.

"This can't be happening!" Davin exclaimed.

"Great work, Snorunt!" Elaine complemented.

"Snorunt, runt!" It cheered.

Davin returned Quake. "She's raised her Pokemon well. It's a bit hard to believe that she only has three badges."

Elaine recalled Snorunt. "Ready to give up, Davin?"

"Not by a long shot!" He sent out his last Pokemon. "Bark, let's do this!"

"Grovyle!" He said with cool in his voice.

"All right. You're up next." Elaine kissed the Poke ball and threw it. "Go!"

A white light came from the Poke ball and it took the shape of a Pokemon that had a head shaped like a bell and a long ribbon-like tail. Davin looked it up.

"Chimecho, the Wind Chime Pokemon. Chimecho is the evolved form of Chingling. It uses the sucker on its head to hang from trees or leaves and can produce seven different types of tones."

"Wow. A Chimecho?"

"Yep. This Chimecho was the first Pokemon I ever received."

"That's interesting. This Grovyle's the first Pokemon _I've_ ever received."

"Well, let's see which one of us has the strongest bond. Chimecho, use Take Down!" It came at full speed towards the Grass Pokemon.

"Bark, dodge it!" He made a dash and evaded it, but Chimecho came back around and tackled him from behind.

"That Chimecho's fast." Davin commented.

"Okay! Now use Confusion!" Chimecho's eyes glowed purple and it levitated Bark off of the ground.

"Bark, use Leaf Storm! Quick!" With one swing of the leaf on its head, Chimecho was hit with a gust of wind along with some leaves. "Now, Quick Attack!" Chimecho was hit by the speed move and it fell to the ground.

"Chimecho, are you alright?"

"Chiiiime!" It sang.

Davin grinned. "I have to admit. That Chimecho's got spunk. Bark, use Pound!"

"Dodge it and then use Yawn!" Chimecho flew upward to dodge and it yawned to release a bubble. It popped in front of Bark's face and he fell asleep.

"Oh no!"

"Now, Chimecho! Shock Wave!" Electricity builded up in Chimecho's body and it released it, causing Bark to awake with a hit. He stood dazed for a second unti he fell to the ground and fainted.

"Oh no! Bark!" Davin yelled as he ran to him. He lifted its head off the ground. "Are you okay?"

"Grovyle." It said, weakly.

"Take a rest. You deserve it." Bark disappeared into his Poke ball.

"Chimecho, you were outstanding as always!" Elaine said as she returned it.

"Wow, Elaine. Your Pokemon are strong. I still can't believe I lost."

"Well, it just goes to show that with enough practice, you can become good." Wingull flew on to her shoulder. "How'd you like the battle, Wingull?"

"Wing! Wingull!" It flapped its wings excitedly.

Davin smiled. "I may have lost this time, but next time we meet, I'll beat you for sure!"

Elaine chuckled. "We'll see."

Both of them went their seperate ways and continued on their journey to the Varex League.


	33. Chapter 33 - Hot N' Ready

"Okay... Where am I?" Davin said as he searched around the woods. There was nothing to see but trees that blocked the entire sky. "Oh man! I was sure that this was the right path!" He sighed. "Well, standing here isn't going to help anything."

Suddenly, an idea came to him. "That's it!" Davin tossed a Poke ball into the air and his Riolu appeared in a flash of light. "Socius, use your aura to see if there's a way out of this forest."

It nodded and placed its hand on the ground, closed its eyes, and its aura sensors started activating. At first, Socius couldn't sense anything, but an exit to the forest revealed itself. "Rio, Rio!" It pointed east to the exit.

"It's that way? Cool!" Davin ran straight into the bushes that blocked the way, Socius following close behind.

After cutting through numerous branches and bushes, the sun shined brightly on Davin's and Socius's faces when they were out.

Davin sighed in happiness as he sat down. "Doesn't the warm sunshine and breeze feel good, Socius?"

"Riolu." It agreed as it sat down with him.

"Hey. You know what? This is your first time feeling the wind, isn't it?"

"Rio?" It questioned.

"Well, you know. You've been an egg for a little while now, so you've never had an actual feel or glance of nature's beauty."

"Rio..." Socius said, understanding what Davin meant.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that." Davin turned to it and smiled. "I'll make sure you get a good view of the world wherever we go!"

Socius smiled. "Rio! Rio!" It nodded happily.

Suddenly, a blast of fire ruined the moment as it was shot at them. Davin stood up. "Hey! What's going on?!"

Up in the air above the mountains about a mile away from where they were standing and the grass meadow, a Pokemon landed in front of them. It had a flame burning on top of its head and tail and its body was covered in flame patterns. Davin looked it up.

"Magmar, the Spitfire Pokemon, and the evolved form of Magby. Born in the spout of a volcano, its body is covered by flames that shimmer like the sun."

"Hey, Magmar! Why'd you go and attack us out of nowhere?" He yelled.

"Mag! Mar!" It said while pumping its arms.

Davin turned to Socius. "What's it saying?"

"Ri. Rio, Olu. Rio!" It explained.

Davin nodded. "So you're saying this Magmar wants to fight because we're trespassing on its land?" Socius nodded. "Well, if it's a fight you want then it's a fight you'll get!" He pointed his finger forward. "Socius, use Sky Uppercut!" It jumped up high and dived with its arm pointed downward.

Magmar wasted no time in reacting and fired a spiral-like flame from its mouth that burned Socius' body.

"That was Fire Spin." Davin noted. "Socius, recover and use Force Palm!" As it was falling, Socius flew towards the Fire Pokemon in mid-air. Magmar started to split into multiple copies, which confused Socius on which one to strike.

"Just hit all of them until you find the real one!" Socius landed strikes from left to right to the northeast and to the southwest; when all of the copies disappeared, the real Magmar was nowhere to be seen.

"Use your aura to sense it!" It placed a hand to the ground and closed its eyes. A second later, it opened one eye and jumped out of the way of Magmar's ambush from above.

"Good job! Now use Sky Uppercut!" Socius sent Magmar into the sky with a powerful upper punch. "Force Palm! Go!" As soon as it neared, Magmar grinned and struck Socius with a punch that was engulfed with fire.

"Don't give up! Sky Uppercut!" Socius made an attempt, but Magmar shot another Fire Spin that knocked it to the ground.

"Can you get up?" Davin asked, sounding a bit worried. Though there were burn marks on it, Socius stood up as if it wasn't affected by them.

Magmar ran towards Socius with another Fire Punch. "Wait right there, Socius! Don't move!" It firmed its stance. Magmar was an inch away and was about to land a hit. "Use Counter!" As soon as Magmar landed a blow, Socius' body glowed red and Magmar was sent backwards by a powerful force.

"Worked like a charm! Now let's see if we can end this with a Force Palm!" Socius ran fast towards Magmar, jumped into the air, landed on Magmar's belly, pressed its palm to it, and released a powerful green force that paralyzed Magmar.

"_Well..._" Davin thought. "_Since Magmar's already weakened..._" He took out a Pokeball and threw it as he cried, "Go, Poke ball!"

The ball hit Magmar and it disappeared in a red flash. Beeping could be heard as the Poke ball shook and the center button was flashing red. Both Davin and Socius stared at the Poke ball, Davin with a hopeful look and Socius with a skeptical look, wondering what was happening since it had never seen a Pokemon get caught before.

After a while, the ball stood still as the red flashing vanished.

"Yes!" Davin cheered as he ran over to pick up the Poke ball. He showed it to the Riolu. "Did you see that, Socius? That's what's called a capture. Humans can catch Pokemon with these spheres called Poke balls to befriend and battle with them." Understanding the concept, Socius smiled and nodded.

Davin held his Poke ball high into the air. "I caught a Magmar!"


	34. Chapter 34 - Too Hot To Handle

"Okay, Hearth! Come on out!" In a flash of light, Davin's newly caught Magmar appeared. He turned to his other Pokemon. "Everyone, this is Hearth. He's going to be joining us on our journey."

Everyone waved to Hearth, but he just folded his arms and turned away. "Hearth, that's no way to treat your new friends! Say hello."

Next thing Davin knew, his face was getting burned by Hearth's Fire Spin.

He coughed. "What kind of attitude is that?!"

"Mar." It responded as if it didn't care.

Davin lost his patience. He held Hearth's Poke ball and he disappeared. "Sorry, guys. I didn't know he was gonna be this stubborn."

* * *

Later, as Davin walked down through the forest path, he couldn't get his mind off of Hearth. "_What's with him? Why doesn't he act right?_" Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted when a blast of fire shot out into the air. "Whoa! Where'd that come from?"

Davin ran into the direction of the fire and he gasped as he saw, who other than, Jett and his Quilava.

"Good work, Quilava! You're Flamethrower is really improving."

"Quilava!" It said.

"Hey, Jett!" Davin said as he ran to them.

"Oh. Hey, Davin. It's been a while."

"So how many badges do you have now?" Davin asked, hoping he wouldn't have too much.

Jett held up the number of fingers of the badges he had. "Five! How about you?"

Davin smiled "What a coincidence. I have four but I'm heading over to Caligo Town to earn my fifth."

Jett frowned. "I don't think you want to go there, Davin."

"Why not?"

"The gym leader there is extremely tough. Even _I_ was beaten by him."

"No offense, Jett, but I think I can handle him better than _you_ can."

"I'm serious! My Pokemon were knocked out before they could even land a hit."

Davin scoffed. "Oh, please! You're just trying to scare me so I won't go there."

Jett shook his head in disbelief. "You are a total moron."

Davin's anger suddenly shot out. "Look! I'm stronger than you, so I don't need to look out for myself in that gym battle!"

Jett's facial expression turned to shock. "Wait a minute, back up! Who said you were stronger than me?"

"Well, I've happen to beat you two times and you've only beaten me once."

Now Jett's anger shot up. He returned his Quilava and held a different Poke ball in his hand. "Well, I'm not just gonna stand here and let you insult me. Let's battle. But to make things interesting, let's make it a double battle!"

"Sure! Bring it on!"

Few seconds later, they stood eight feet away from each other in the forest clearing.

Jett went first. "All right, Fearow and Misdreavus! Get ready to battle!"

"Mis." Misdreavus said. Fearow screeched as it came out.

"So, Jett's got some new Pokemon." Davin said as he looked them up.

"Fearow, the Beak Pokemon, and the evolved form of Spearow. It shoots itself into the sky and plummets down in one fell swoop to strike its prey."

"Misdreavus, the Screech Pokemon. It likes playing mischievous tricks and loves to yank people's hair to see their reactions."

Davin threw his Poke balls. "Aduro and Hearth! I choose you!"

"Mon, Mon!" Aduro screeched.

"Magmar." Hearth said.

Jett was a bit surprised. "So you caught yourself a Magmar, huh? Not bad, considering _you_ were able to catch it."

"Make fun all you want, but you're going down!" Davin pointed forward. "Aduro, use Flame Wheel on Misdreavus!"

When Aduro attacked, Jett nonchalantly said, "Psychic!" When heard, Misdreavus' eyes glowed blue and Aduro stopped in its tracks as it was levitated.

"Fearow, use Drill Peck!" Its beak glowed as it spinned rapidly, striking Aduro in one hit.

"Not bad." Davin said to himself. "Hearth, use Fire Spin on Fearow!" Instead of using Fire Spin on Fearow, Hearth came running towards Misdreavus with Fire Punch. "What are you doing, Hearth?!"

"Fearow, stop Hearth with Secret Power!" Its body glowed in a pink aura and with a single flap of its wings, it released a wave of energy that hit Hearth and caused him to drop to his knees.

"_Amazing..._" Davin thought.

"Now use Psywave, Misdreavus!" It released multiple, circular light-blue waves that sent Hearth flying backwards.

"Hearth, what was that about? I told you to use Fire Spin on Fearow." Davin complained. Hearth ignored him and stood back up. "Fine. Aduro, use Blaze Kick on Fearow!"

"Mirror Move!" Both Pokemon came at each other with their blazing foot. When they collided, an explosion of flames damaged them both and made them fall into unconsciousness.

"Whoa! Those were some powerful Blaze Kicks." Jett said.

"I'll say." Davin added as both of them returned their fainted Pokemon. "Okay, Hearth. Let's try this one more time. Use Fire Spin!" Again, Hearth ignored him and used a different move that involved his tail glowing white as he aimed it at Misdreavus.

"Block that Iron Tail with Charge Beam!" Misdreavus' body became covered with sparks and it fired a blast of electricity that electrocuted Hearth. "Now let's wrap this up with Psychic!" Hearth floated into air and Misdreavus made it collide with Davin, knocking them both into the ground.

Jett chuckled as he returned his Misdreavus. "Now, what were you saying about _you_ being stronger?"

Davin lifted Hearth off of him. "I don't understand. Why didn't he listen to me?"

"You haven't figured it out yet?!" Jett practically shouted. "You're a bigger moron than I thought."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Davin shouted back.

"You don't have enough badges for Hearth to obey you, dummy!" Davin was a bit confused. "When you earn badges, it allows Pokemon at a certain level to listen to you. Your Magmar's probably at a level where it refuses to obey you unless you can prove you're strong enough to handle him."

Davin frowned. "I've never thought of that."

Jett started walking away. "When your Magmar starts to listen to you... we'll battle again."

When Jett was out of sight, Davin looked down at his fainted Magmar and thought about what he said. "More badges, huh?..." He recalled Hearth to his ball, stood to his feet, and continued to walk to Caligo Town.


	35. Chapter 35 - Creeps In The Caligo Gym

"All right... So this is Caligo Town?" Davin said, sounding unenthusiastic than usual. The reason was because the town had a dark and gloomy feeling to it.

Ignoring this, Davin released Hearth from his Poke ball. He pointed towards the town. "See there, Hearth?"

"Mag?" The fire Pokemon asked.

"I'm going to be using you in my gym battle there. Once I get my fifth badge, maybe you'll start to listen to me." Hearth scoffed. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to try." He said, recalling it back.

Davin stared at the town for awhile. "I wonder if Jett was right. Could the gym leader here be that strong?"

Later after Davin got his Pokemon back from Nurse Joy, he asked, "Nurse Joy, how strong is the gym leader of this town?"

"You mean Marzer? He's a fairly weak one."

"Weak? But that's not what I heard about him."

Nurse Joy frowned. "It's strange, but trainers keep saying he's the most powerful gym leader of all time after they battle him."

Davin had a thoughtful look on his face. "I wonder why?"

* * *

When he reached the gym, he looked upon a broken down building with lots of cracks in it.

"That's weird. This place looks like it hasn't been fixed in years." He opened the door to the gym and found a battlefield that was dimly lit because of the lack of lighting in the building.

"Uh... Is anyone here?" He yelled. "I've come for a gym battle."

"**Excellent.**" A creepy voice said. A man wearing a black suit descended from the ceiling; he had a somewhat ugly face which struck a bit of fear into Davin's body as he saw him. "**Pleased to meet you. My name is Marzer, the Caligo Town gym leader. I assume you're ready for battle?**"

Davin gulped. "Y-Yes, I a-am."

Marzer chuckled wickedly and with a snap of his fingers, the door behind Davin closed on its own. When Davin gasped at this, the dim lights disappeared and the whole gym was suddenly surrounded by wild, light-purple flames.

"Wh-What's going on?..." Davin could barely speak.

"**This is just my way of starting a gym battle.**" Marzer opened his hand and a Poke ball formed from a light blue energy. With a throw, he said, "**Come on out, my friend.**" The ball opened and a black Pokemon with sharp claws appeared on the field. Still a bit shaken, Davin looked it up.

"Sneasel, the Sharp Claw Pokemon. It is extremely vicious and will not stop attacking until its foe is incapable of moving."

"Okay..." Still distracted by the flames, Davin threw his first Poke ball. "Go!" The ball opened and Quake appeared.

"**All right, Sneasel. Metal Claw.**" Sneasel jumped into the air, crossed its hands, and dived down while its claws glowed.

"Um... Quake, use Fire Fang..." She jumped into the air to bite Sneasel, but it faded away right in front of her eyes. "What?" Sneasel faded in from behind and raked Quake's back with its sharp claws.

"**Now use Ice Beam.**" Light-blue beams of energy shot from its mouth and Quake was frozen solid by the attack, unabling her to move.

"Uh... Uh..." Davin couldn't utter his command for some reason.

"**Finish it with Ice Punch.**" With one blow of its icy fist, the ice shattered and the Donphan fainted.

Davin waited for the judge to announce it, but when he glanced to the side, he saw that there was no judge. "Hey... Shouldn't there be a judge here... I mean... after all, this is a gym... battle..."

Marzer chuckled. "**I don't feel that a judge is important.**"

Davin shakily recalled Quake and threw his next one. "Come out now." Bark appeared on the field in a flash of light. Davin gulped. "Okay, Bark... Focus Punch."

"**Counter with Ice Punch.**" Both Pokemon's punches hit, but Sneasel's Ice Punch knocked Bark to the ground. "**Use Surf.**" A giant wave of water appeared under Sneasel's feet and it moved towards Bark.

"Bark... Leaf Storm." The attack was released, but it was unaffective against the wave and Bark suffered a powerful water splash, causing it to lose consciousness.

Marzer chuckled. "**What's wrong? Surely if you came to this gym, you would be a lot stronger.**"

Davin returned Bark. "_What's going on? This whole gym... the flames... Marzar... all of it... is scaring me... What's going on?!_"

"**Well, what's it going to be?**" Marzer chuckled. "**Are you going to send out your last Pokemon or will you forfeit?**"

Davin tried to maintain himself and took out the Pokemon he wanted to use. "Go." Hearth appeared on the field. "Hearth... do whatever you want."

"Magmar?" He asked, a little surprised to hear him say that. Davin just nodded.

"**Sneasel. Surf.**" The huge wave appeared again, but Hearth destroyed the wave with one swing of its Iron Tail. "**Oh. I see your Magmar likes to follow its own rules instead of its trainer's.**" He chuckled. "**You must not be very good if it acts that way.**"

Davin just gulped. Hearth looked back at Davin, still feeling a bit weird that Davin allowed him to disobey.

"**Use Ice Beam.**" The beams were shot again, but Hearth dodged them and used Fire Spin, trapping Sneasel in a fiery vortex. He jumped up and used Fire Punch to hit Sneasel through the vortex and the Dark/Ice Pokemon fainted.

Marzer chuckled. "**Impressive. No one hasn't beaten my Sneasel in a while.**" He recalled his Pokemon and sent out a different one. "**Go.**" A dog-like Pokemon with horns on its head appeared, which Davin checked with his Pokedex despite his current condition.

"Houndoom, the Dark Pokemon. If its foe is burned by the flames it shoots from its mouth, the pain will never go away."

Hearth's feeling still didn't go away and he looked at the traumatized Davin, feeling a little concerned.

"**Houndoom. Use Smog.**" It fired a cloud of smoke that corrupted Hearth's vision. Looking from left to right, he couldn't see anything. "**Faint Attack.**" Houndoom came out of nowhere and it hit Hearth from behind.

Hearth countered with an Iron Tail to the head and a Fire Punch to the gut; feeling dazed, Houndoom fell to the floor and fainted.

"**What? Impossible. No one has ever defeated my Houndoom.**" For some reason, Marzer started to sound worried.

Hearth looked at Davin for a little hope that he would receive a cheesy complement from him, but Davin only looked down towards the ground. The Magmar was now _officially _worried about him; even though he disliked him, he still felt worried.

"**No matter. I still have you left.**" Marzer said to himself. "**Defeat that Magmar!**" A Skuntank appeared on the field. "**Use Night Slash. Now!**" Being distracted by Davin, Hearth was slashed by the skunk's purple glowing claws.

Hearth countered with Fire Spin. "**Dodge and use Sludge Bomb!**" Skuntank jumped out of the way and pelted Hearth with a barrage of sludge, making him fall flat on the ground. He looked up at Davin, who still felt nothing. Hearth reached out to him, but he was hit by Skuntank's Hyper Beam.

Marzer chuckled. "**This is the end. Skuntank, use Giga Impact!**" Skuntank came toward Hearth with its outer body filled with a powerful energy.

"Mag... Mar..." Hearth weakly said, trying to get Davin's attention.

Skuntank was getting closer and closer by the second.

Knowing that this was the only way, Hearth released a Fire Spin in Davin's face. The boy gasped as he looked up, feeling back to his old self.

"**No! It can't be!**" Marzer shouted with horror.

Davin blinked a few times. "Hearth?" Hearth nodded happily until Skuntank hit him with its Giga Impact. The Magmar flew through the air and was headed for the wall.

"HEARTH!" Davin shouted. He ran to the wall and took the impact when Hearth landed on him.

Hearth opened his eyes to see the boy. "Are you alright?" Davin asked. To his surprise, Hearth smiled and nodded.

"**NOOOOOOOO! THIS CAN'T BE!**" A powerful earthquake shook the entire gym. Marzer screamed as he was levitated into the air; his body started to decease into a skeleton as Davin and Hearth watched in horror.

"**NOOOOOO! NOOOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**"

With a huge explosion, Marzer and his Skuntank vanished along with the purple flames.

Sunlight filled the broken down gym with light. Hearth and Davin heard the sounds of birds chirping.

"What... just... happened?" Davin asked.

"Magmar." Hearth shrugged.

"Hey. What's that?" Davin noticed something on the floor where Marzer disappeared. He ran over to it and picked it up to see that it was a badge that looked like black smoke in the form of a circle that had a center of light in the middle.

"This must be this gym's badge." Davin said.

"Magmar." Hearth said, trying to get his attention. He pointed to a poster that was on the wall that read,

"**This is the Scare Badge. This is proof of a trainer's win at the Caligo Gym... which is never going to happen.**"

Davin looked at the badge. "Well, I guess this badge belongs to me but... what was that whole thing with Marzer?" He thought about it for a moment, but just couldn't figure it out.

Ignoring that, he smiled and held up his new badge. "The Scare Badge is mine!"

"Mag!" Hearth cheered, pumping his fist into the air.

* * *

When Davin and Hearth exited the gym, they heard a voice shout, "There you are!" Both of them turned to their rights and saw the Nurse Joy from the Pokemon Center running toward them. She embraced Davin tightly. "Thank you so much for saving me!"

"Saving you? From what?" He choked from the hug.

She let go of him and told him to follow her to the Pokemon center.

They both sat in the lobby, where Nurse Joy offered him a cup of tea.

"You see, Davin, Marzer... is a ghost."

"WHAT?! A ghost?" He said in shock.

She nodded. "He died about 67 years ago. He was a farmer that worked in the fields and he suffered a heart attack while working. Everyone in town was greatly upset and they buried him in a grave that's up on the mountains near here. His body had passed, but his ghost hadn't. He felt that it was too soon for him to cross over, so he began haunting the people of this town. One day, he scared away the gym leader of this town and he made pact with the spirits of the other side: If he lost one gym battle, he would cross over, but if he hadn't, he would get to remain on Earth." She sighed. "Since then, whenever trainers came here for a gym battle, he would create a dark atmosphere that caused his challengers to be too scared to put up a fight. Hearing about this, all of the town's residents fled the town. I tried to run away as well, but he forced me to stay here so that his challengers could heal their Pokemon. I refused, but he threatened to kill all of my sisters if I didn't, so I had no choice."

"Wow..." Davin said. "I'm really sorry about that."

"It's no problem." She said with a smile. "Anyways, every single trainer that challenged him always ended up losing, which caused them to say that he was the most powerful of all gym leaders. I've prayed for a long time that someone would come and defeat him... but who would've guessed it would be you and your Magmar?"

Davin turned to Hearth and the Magmar smiled at him. He smiled back. "Actually, Nurse Joy, before this gym battle, this Magmar wouldn't do a thing I said."

"What? Really?"

Davin nodded. "But I guess after he saw how scared and spaced out I was, he started to respect me. Isn't that right?"

"Magmar." He nodded.

"Wow. So battling with Marzer got you to become closer to one of your Pokemon."

"Yep. Now that we're seeing eye to eye, we'll become excellent battling partners."

"Well, I'm glad for you." Nurse Joy stood up and walked over to a map on the center's wall. "You can find the next gym at Proeno City."

"Cool. That saves me from using my Poketch."

"A Poketch?" Nurse Joy thought to herself. "Davin, would you like a more upgraded device to check your locations?"

"Sure. That'd be cool."

Nurse Joy went over to her desk and brought back a device that looked like a modified flip phone. "This is a Pokégear. It comes with a map, a phone, and even a radio."

"Whoa!" Davin said as he took it from her. "All that in one device?!"

Nurse Joy nodded. "Consider it a thank you present for freeing me from Marzer's control."

Davin smiled. "Thank you so much, Nurse Joy! I'll take good care of it."

With that being said, he returned Hearth to his Poke ball, waved goodbye to Nurse Joy, and went on to get his sixth badge in Proeno City.


	36. Chapter 36 - Vibrating Outcasts

Continuing his way towards Proeno City, Davin was in the Pokémon Center in Drift Town, talking to Prof. Cypress on the video phone.

"Oh. So you've got a Pokégear, huh?" She asked.

Davin nodded. "Yeah. It's awesome too! It's amazing how it has a video phone just like the ones they have at Pokémon Centers."

"Yeah, it is." She chuckled. "Hey, here's an idea. Why don't I give you my number so you can call me while you're on the road?"

"That'd be awesome!" The Professor sent her number to Davin from her computer. When Davin looked at his Pokégear's phonebook, her name appeared on the screen. "Thanks, Professor! I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome. Good luck at getting your sixth badge." With that being said, the phone call ended.

* * *

When Davin exited the Pokémon Center, screams could be heard from the townspeople. A flock of dragonfly-like Pokémon flew past Davin's head, making him duck and use his Pokédex to identify them.

"Vibrava, the Vibration Pokémon. It violently shudders its wings, generating ultrasonic waves to induce headaches in people."

"Dragon type Pokémon?" Davin wondered to himself.

"Poliwhirl, use Ice Beam!" A voice shouted. Davin recognized it as he saw the Ice Beam fire towards the Vibrava, which they all dodged at once.

"Jett?" He turned around to see the bleach-haired boy standing beside his Poliwhirl.

One of the Vibrava became angered and used Sandstorm, causing everyone to shield themselves with their arms. When it cleared, the Vibrava were gone.

"Shoot! They got away again." Jett replied.

"Jett, what are you doing here?" Davin asked.

"Oh, hey, Davin. Have you challenged the Caligo town gym leader yet?"

He snickered. "You bet. And I won!"

"Ha! Yeah, right. You're bluffing."

Davin shoved the Scare Badge in Jett's face and said, "Then explain this!"

Jett gasped. "You've got to be kidding! I couldn't defeat the gym leader and you could?!"

"Looks like your falling behind, my friend." Davin bragged, not even bothering to mention the gym's former curse.

Jett shook it off. "Whatever. I've got other things to think about. Like catching a Vibrava."

Davin gasped. "Wait. So that's why you came here? To catch one of those Pokémon?"

Jett nodded. "You see, those Vibrava have been wreaking havoc in this town for about four weeks. They keep stealing people's food, items, and many other things they can get their hands on."

"But why are they in a town like this?" Davin asked. "Shouldn't they be living in the desert?"

"I asked around and the people keep saying that a massive sandstorm occurred in a desert that's about fifty miles from here. It was so strong that it blew the Vibrava all the way to here, and now they steal from the people so that they can survive in this new environment."

"Whoa." Davin said. "Fifty miles is a long way."

"Yeah. Anyways, I'll see you later. Let's go, Poliwhirl!"

"Poli!" It responded as it followed Jett.

Davin stared at them as they ran off.

* * *

The Vibrava had landed in a huge tree where the leaves on it blocked everything from their view so that they wouldn't be seen. Some of them started eating the food they stole while the others were playing with the objects they stole also.

Meanwhile, Jett was searching all over to see if he could find the Vibrava's hideout. "This stinks! Where would Vibrava go in a city?" He pondered.

"Jett!" Davin called.

"What is it? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"I want to have another double battle with you. I want you to see how me and Hearth have improved." Jett didn't respond because he was seven feet away from him, searching in the bushes. "Hey! Don't ignore me!"

"Look. I don't have time for you, Davin. Catching one of those Vibrava could help bring me to my future as the Varex League champion."

"You can search all you want, but there isn't a Pokémon in this world that you can catch that'll stop _me_ from becoming the champ!"

Jett was getting irritated. "Go away!"

Davin sighed. "Why don't we make a deal? If I help you catch a Vibrava, will you battle me?"

"And just how can you, of all people, help?"

"Does it matter? Do you want my help or not?"

Jett thought for a moment and agreed. "What have I got to lose?" Davin threw a Poké ball in the air and his Riolu appeared, which stunned him. "A Riolu?! Wh-Wh-Where'd you get that? Those Pokémon are rare to find!"

"Remember that Pokémon egg I had? This Riolu was in it. I named him Socius." Jett was too surprised to speak.

Davin kneeled down to his Pokemon. "Socius, use your aura and see if you can sense a group of Vibrava." He showed a picture of one from his Pokédex.

"Rio." It nodded. It closed its eyes and its aura sensors began to rise; aura waves were spread out across the area until they picked up something. Opening its eyes, Socius ran to the source.

"Looks like it found them. Come on!" Davin ran after it.

A minute later, Socius stopped in front of the large tree where the Vibrava were. "Whoa! I've never seen a tree that big before." Davin commented.

"So, the Vibrava are in there?" Jett asked as he caught up with them. Davin nodded. "All right." Jett threw a Poké ball. "Go, Bibarel!" A large beaver Pokémon appeared in a flash of light.

"What's that?" Davin said to himself as he looked it up.

"Bibarel, the Beaver Pokémon, and the evolved form of Bidoof. Being an industrious worker, it busily makes its nest with stacks of branches and roots it has cut up with its large incisors."

"Bibarel! Use Waterfall!" Its eyes glowed blue and a column of water shot out from under the tree, causing the Vibrava to be washed out.

"That's awesome!" Davin said.

The Vibrava wasted no time in retaliating as they all charged in with Steel Wing.

"Use Superpower!" Bibarel's body became outlined in blue and it damaged all of them with one tackle; one of the Vibrava didn't give up and used Steel Wing again. "Hidden Power!" The Vibrava was hit by multiple light blue and yellow orbs from Bibarel.

"Now! Go, Poké Ball!" Vibrava disappeared inside and the ball started shaking. After seven seconds, it stood still. "Excellent." He said as he picked it up. Angry that a friend of its was captured, another Vibrava came at him with Steel Wing.

"Socius! Sky Uppercut!" The attacking Vibrava was knocked into the air by the Riolu's uppercut.

"Go, Poké Ball!" Davin threw it and the Vibrava disappeared inside. It shook about eight times until it stopped with a beep.

Seeing that the humans were too strong, the rest of the Vibrava fled.

Davin picked up his Poké ball. "Well, that takes care of that."

"Wait a sec! Why'd you catch one? I thought you weren't interested in them."

"I'm not. I just have special plans for this one." Davin turned to Jett. "Now... Are you ready to hold up your end of the deal?"

Jett nodded. "Let's do it!"

* * *

A while later, both trainers took their respective places on the battlefield that was located outside at the back of the Pokémon Center.

Jett released his two Pokémon. "Poliwhirl! Vibrava! I choose you!"

"Poli!" The tadpole Pokémon said.

"Brava!" Jett's newest Pokémon said.

Davin smiled and sent out his Pokémon. "Hearth and Sander! I choose you!"

"Mag!" Hearth shouted.

"Vibra!" Sander said.

Jett had the first move. "Poliwhirl, use Ice Beam on Davin's Vibrava!"

"Hearth, block it with Fire Spin!" It got in front of Sander and fired its fire attack, which exploded on contact with Poliwhirl's Ice Beam.

"Well, what do you know, Davy? Hearth is actually listening to you." Jett grinned.

"You ain't seen nothing yet! Hearth, use Lava Plume! Sander, use Protect!" Hearth made an explosion to cover the battle area with smoke and fire while Sander protected itself with a green barrier. Both Poliwhirl and Vibrava received damage from the attack.

Jett didn't let that stop him. "Vibrava, use Steel Wing on Magmar!" With a clear shot, Vibrava landed a hit on Hearth with its glowing wings. "Now, Poliwhirl! Hydro Pump!" Hearth was hit again by Poliwhirl's powerful blast of water.

"You okay, Hearth?" Davin asked him.

"Mag... Magmar!" He said while getting up.

"Okay. Now it's time for a combo! Sander, fly into the air!" It ascended above its partner. "Hearth, surround Sander with Fire Spin!" He pointed his lips upward and created a flaming vortex around the Dragon Pokemon.

"_I don't know what he's got up his sleeve, but it's not going to work._" Jett thought. "Vibrava, use Sandstorm to get rid of that Fire Spin!" Vibrava flapped its wings rapidly to create a huge sandstorm that blew towards its foe.

Davin smirked. "Hook, line, and sinker! Sander, spin and use Dragon Breath!" It spun itself like a spinning top and released a light blue beam of air from its mouth that cloaked it from view.

"Now... Go!" The Dragon Breath exploded, which caused Hearth's Fire Spin to break apart into individual fire darts along with Dragon Breath that caused a combination of air and fire. The powerful combo blew through the Sandstorm and struck Poliwhirl and Vibrava with extreme force.

"Aaaah! No way!" Jett shouted. Both Pokémon landed on the ground and fainted.

"Yeah! My first double battle victory!" Davin cheered. He ran to his Pokémon and petted them. "You two were excellent! Awesome teamwork!"

"Magmar." Hearth said happily.

"Vi." Sander said with a smile.

Jett returned his Pokémon to their Poké balls and walked up to Davin. "I hate to admit it, Davy, but... you're really improving as a Pokémon trainer."

Davin chuckled. "Thanks. You're getting stronger too."

"You know, you really threw me off with that Dragon Breath/Fire Spin combo."

"You bet I did! I call that little move: Dragon Flare Bomb!"

Jett chuckled. "Well, no matter how many times you beat me, you won't stop me from achieving my goal."

"That goes double for me!" Davin said as he raised his fist.

After the boys said their goodbyes, they went their separate ways, both of them determined to outdo each other for the title of Pokémon champion of the Varex League.


	37. Chapter 37 - Psychic Dilemmas

"Prof. Cypress, can you keep my new Vibrava in storage?" Davin asked when he was at the Pokémon Center in Kelvar City.

"But, Davin. Don't you want to keep it with you and raise it?" She asked.

"Mm-mm." He shook his head. "You see, Sander's great and all, but I only captured him so it could battle against Jett's Vibrava. But since it's strong, I want to keep in storage in case I need it again."

"I should've guessed that one." She chuckled. Davin placed Sander's Poké Ball on the transporter and in a flash of light, the Poké ball disappeared. "Sander made it safely." The Professor said, holding the ball in her hand.

"Good. Talk to you later."

* * *

Later, as Davin walked on, he checked his Pokégear to see how far he was from Proeno City. "Hmm... it's not too far away. I should be there in a few days." He concluded.

A little more later, he discovered a wide open area of grass. "Bark! Aduro! Socius! Come on out!" He said as he released them. They appeared one after the other in flashes of light. "Okay. I'm planning on using you three for our sixth gym battle. So why don't we start doing some training?" They all pumped their fists in the air in agreement.

"Cool! All right, Bark and Aduro, you guys are up first." Both of them stood apart from one another, giving intimidating glares.

"Aduro, use Flame Wheel!" It rolled straight at Bark, engulfed in fire. "Bark, dodge and use Focus Punch!" He leaped into the air and delivered a straight blow to Aduro's chest.

"Excellent as always!" Davin shouted.

"Quite impressive." A voice said. Everyone looked in front of them to see a boy with glasses, about two years older than Davin, walking towards them with a Xatu by his side.

"Uh... thanks." Davin said, feeling a bit curious about the guy.

"My name is Garon. And I must say your Grovyle is quite the battler."

"Well, thank you. My name's Davin, by the way."

"Hmm..." Garon mumbled as he eyed Bark. "Tell me, Davin. How about we have a battle? My Xatu versus your Grovyle."

Davin turned to Bark. "How about it? You want to?"

"Gro." It nodded.

"All right! You got yourself a deal."

Few seconds later, the trainers took their positions while Aduro and Socius watched from behind Davin.

"_Now, let's see what I'm up against..._" He thought as he turned on his Pokédex.

"Xatu, the Mystic Pokémon. They say that it stays still and quiet because it is seeing both the past and future at the same time."

"So it's a Psychic Pokémon..." He said to himself. "I'd better be careful."

"Let's get this started." Garon said. "Xatu. Use Peck." The bird Pokémon unfolded its wings and flew at Bark with its beak glowing.

"Dodge it!" Bark jumped out of the way, but Xatu quickly flew in his direction and landed a hit.

Garon chuckled a bit. "Silly boy. You thought you could dodge it that easily?"

Davin ignored him. "Bark, counter with Pound!" Just as it was swinging its leaf, Garon uttered, "Teleport.", and Xatu vanished in the blink of an eye and reappeared behind Bark.

"Silver Wind." It flapped its wings to realease a wind with silver crescents in it that struck Bark and made it skid across the grass.

"Bark, hang in there!"

"Now use Future Sight." Xatu put its wings together where a light blue ball of energy formed, which then was launched into the sky.

"_We better end this quick._" Davin thought. "Bark, use Leaf Storm!"

"Teleport, Xatu." Bark's attack missed and Xatu appeared behind him yet again. "Peck." Bark was knocked into the air by Xatu's beak; to Bark's surprise, lightning bolts shot from the sky and struck his body.

"What the-? I thought Future Sight wasn't supposed to take effect until a bit longer."

Garon chuckled. "Unlike most Xatu, mine can control when Future Sight hits."

"Impossible!" Davin gasped.

Bark fell to the ground and lost consciousness, resulting in Davin, Aduro, and Socius to run over to him. "Bark, are you okay?" His trainer asked.

Garon chuckled as he walked toward them. "Well, well, well. It seems your Grovyle wasn't as strong as I thought it would be."

"What?!" Davin asked, getting mad.

"It seems your Grovyle is just too weak."

"Hey!" Davin stood to his feet. "Bark is not weak! You're attacks just caught us off guard."

"Hmph. Whatever floats your boat."

"It's true!"

Garon turned his back to him. "Well, if that's what you think it was, let's have a rematch tomorrow, right here."

"You bet! Once we do a little training, we'll defeat Xatu!"

Garon just grinned and walked away with his Xatu.

"You'll see." Davin said to himself. "I won't be beaten twice by some pompous jerk!"


	38. Chapter 38 - Just A Little Understanding

Later that night, Davin and Bark were training in the same spot where they had battled. They had spent the entire day doing that with almost little to no breaks.

"Come on, Bark! Put more power into it!" The Grovyle ran as fast as he could towards the dummy Davin had set up and he hit it with his Focus Punch. After that, he dropped to his knees.

"Bark, what are you doing? We can't stop now." Right then, Davin heard Bark's stomach growl. "Oh, yeah. I forgot you hadn't eaten since this morning." Davin took a can of Pokémon food from his bag and poured it into a bowl.

"Here." He said, giving it to Bark. It immediately started eating when he saw the food. "All right. Once your full, we're going right back to training."

Bark looked at Davin with disbelief with his mouth still stuffed with food.

"Well, come on, Bark. You can't expect to beat Xatu if you don't perfect your moves."

Bark swallowed and stood up. "Grovyle, Gro."

"I know it may seem like too much, but this is what you need if you want to win."

"Gro! Grovyle." He tried to reason.

"Bark, I don't want to hear it. As soon as your done, we're going back to it."

Bark shook his head. "Grovyle!"

"Bark! We need to keep this up if you want to become stronger! Don't you want to defeat Xatu as much as I do?"

Bark gave him a nasty look and, to Davin's shock, he used Pound on him, which made Davin fall and gave Bark the opportunity to run away into the woods.

"Wha-... what the?"

* * *

Bark jumped from tree to tree as fast as he could to get as far away from Davin as he could; as soon as he stepped on one of the branches, it broke off and he fell to the ground. He stood up and immediately went back to climbing from the trees.

Meanwhile, Davin was trying to catch up to him. "_I don't understand. Why did Bark attack me like that? I was only trying to help._"

About 10 to 15 minutes later, Bark had stopped to rest and was breathing heavily from exhaustion.

"Bark!" Davin shouted to him.

When Bark saw him, he wanted to run away, but he was too tired and just stayed where he was.

Davin knelt down to him. "Bark... what's wrong? All I was trying to do was to help you get stronger. Why'd you attack me?"

"Gro." He said, turning away his head.

"I don't get you. Why are you so angry?"

"Grovyle." He said in almost a whisper. "Grovyle, Gro."

Davin sighed. "What are you trying to say?"

"You clueless child." A gruff, old voice said. Both trainer and Pokemon recognized that voice. The same old man who had taught Bark how to use Focus Punch appeared from the bushes.

"Joshu! What are you doing here?" Davin exclaimed.

"Oh, I'm just out here to take a little break from my work. I've been busy for a long time." He turned his gaze towards Bark. "But it's a good thing I showed up at the right time." He petted Bark on the head.

"So, what do you mean by that I'm a clueless child?"

Joshu turned his gaze back to him. "I mean that you don't understand Bark's feelings."

"What are you talking about? Of course I understand Bark's feelings. I mean, he's _my_ Pokémon."

"That may be true, but you are not understanding what Bark thinks."

"What do you mean?" He asked, tiliting his head a bit.

Joshu sighed. "It's obvious to anyone that Bark doesn't like you pushing it to train _that_ hard."

Davin scoffed. "That's not it. Right, Bark?" It shook its head. "What?" He gasped.

"It's true that Bark is loyal to you, Davin, but sometimes it just doesn't feel that it needs to be pushed so hard."

"But-... but how could I have known?" He asked with sadness in his voice.

"Davin, as Bark's trainer, you should be able to know and understand Bark's personality and how it feels towards certain things. That's one of the most important things of being a trainer."

Davin shifted his gaze to the ground with tears forming in his eyes. "I... I never... thought about that before..." He said with his voice breaking. "I... don't... believe it..." His tears started falling to the ground. "Bark... I'm sorry... I didn't know... I... I must be... the worst trainer ever...!"

Seeing his trainer's tears, Bark put his hand on Davin's back and began to stroke it.

"Bark..." Davin whispered.

Joshu stood up and offered Davin a hand. When he was pulled up, Joshu put his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Davin... you're not a bad trainer. You love and care about your Pokémon, but sometimes you just misunderstand the love and care your Pokémon give you." Davin sniffled. "You'll learn, Davin... You'll learn." With that said, Joshu walked away, leaving them alone.

Davin dried his tears. "Bark... I really am sorry."

"Grovyle." He shook his head, accepting the apology.

Davin faced Bark. "So... how about we get some sleep and be ready for our rematch tomorrow?"

Bark nodded. "Grovyle..."


	39. Chapter 39 - Dealing With Telekinetics

The next morning, Davin and Bark were getting some last minute practice in before the rematch.

"Okay, Bark! Let's end this with Quick Attack!" It dashed towards the dummy and impacted it, knocking it into a tree. "Great. Good work, Bark!"

"Grovyle." He nodded.

"Not bad." Davin's proud look turned into a disgusted one when he heard Garon's voice. "So I take it you and your Grovyle are ready?"

"You expected anything less?" He answered in a somewhat rude tone.

Garon chuckled. "Then, let's start." They took their battle positions as before. "I'll let you have the first move this time, Davin."

"Good for us. Bark, use Focus Punch!"

"Teleport, Xatu." Xatu disappeared from sight before Bark could hit it.

"Where'd it go?" Davin asked himself as he turned his head in different directions. Before he knew it, Xatu appeared above Bark.

"Silver Wind."

"I thought he might do that. Bark, shield yourself with your arms while you go up!"

"What?" Garon questioned.

Bark did as he was told and spun towards Xatu with the Silver Wind not having any effect on him. "Now use Pound!" Xatu received a good smack from the leaf on Bark's head.

Garon just gasped. "I can't believe he actually landed a hit."

"There's more where that came from! Bark, use Quick Attack!" The Grovyle came at Xatu, dashing with great speed.

"Pointless. Xatu, Peck." It flew straight at Bark, but he dodged at the last second and landed on Xatu's back. "What?!"

"Now! Close-range Leaf Storm!"

"Xatu! Shake it off!"

Xatu thrusted violently, but Bark gripped its body with his hands and fired its Leaf Storm from the leaf on its head, forcing Xatu to plummet towards the ground.

"Yes!" Davin grinned.

"It's not over yet. Xatu, Future Sight!" It released its light blue energy ball into the sky.

"Now that I know that Xatu can control it, we'll be ready. Bark, Focus Punch!"

"Teleport, then Silver Wind!"

Bark missed and Xatu released its silver, crescent shaped winds from its wings, causing it to be damaged; before Bark could hit the ground, Xatu's Future Sight was about to strike.

Davin smiled. "Now! Leaf Storm!" With one swing of its leaf, Bark's Leaf Storm canceled out Future Sight.

"That's not possible!" Garon shouted.

"And now use Quick Attack!" Xatu's body was hit by Bark and it skidded across the grass.

"Yeah! That's the way to show 'em, Bark!" Davin cheered.

"Grovyle!" Bark shouted. Right then, its body glowed entirely white.

"What's this?" Garon said.

"Bark's evolving!" Davin said excitedly.

Bark grew bigger and bigger until the white disappeared to reveal his new form; he had lost the large leaf on his head, but gained a new tree-like tail. He also gained new physical attributes.

"Cool!" Davin said as he activated the Pokédex.

"Sceptile, the Forest Pokemon, and the evolved form of Grovyle. Its arms are equipped with razor-sharp leaves, and it moves lightly through tree branches in order to attack its enemies."

"This is perfect! Bark's reached his final evolution!"

Xatu was trying to get up, but when Bark noticed, he crossed his arms in an X-shape and the leaves on them glowed light blue and expanded. He then spread them apart to release an X-shaped ray that struck Xatu and knocked it backwards.

"Aah! My poor Xatu!" Garon whined.

"Awesome! Bark knows how to use X-Scissor!"

Garon growled. "This still isn't over! Xatu, use Silver Wind!"

"Dodge it, Bark!" The Sceptile just stood there with his eyes closed. "Bark, what are you doing?" Xatu's crescent shaped winds were coming closer. "What's going on? Why aren't you doing any-"

He cut himself off when he noticed that the yellow nodules on Bark's back were glowing. When the Silver Wind was in range, Bark opened his eyes and released a pure white energy beam from his mouth, causing the Silver Wind to be destroyed and Xatu to be knocked into a tree.

"NOOOOOO! XATUUUUU!" Garon shrieked. The Mystic Pokemon had fainted.

"Woooo!"Davin ran over and hugged Bark. "You were awesome, Bark! I'm so proud of you!" He shouted.

"Sceptile." Bark said with a grin.

"My poor Xatu. Are you alright?" Garon asked it.

"Xa... Xa..." It said.

Garon returned it to its Poké ball. He took a deep breath to clear his anger, walked towards Davin, and extended his hand. "Congratulations, Davin. Looks like you've proved to me that Pokémon can become stronger if they work hard. Thank you for teaching me that."

Davin put his hand in Garon's. "I should be the one thanking you. If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't have learned about my Pokémon's real feelings."

Afterwards, Davin and Garon said their good-byes and they each went on their way.


	40. Chapter 40 - Vs Lora

Several days had passed and Davin was standing in front of the Proeno City gym. "Ha, ha! This is it. Badge #6 is totally mine!"

Davin opened the doors to the gym and was taken by surprise. There was a battle already going on.

There were two girls. One was the gym leader, who looked like she was in her 20s, and the other was the challenger, who Davin seemed to recognize.

"Snorunt, use Ice Shard!" The challenger said.

"Block it, Hariyama!" The gym leader commanded.

Snorunt's Ice Shard was crushed by the big Pokémon's enormous hands.

"Arm Thrust! Let's go!" Hariyama repeatedly hit Snorunt with its palms and after five consecutive hits, Snorunt fainted.

"Snorunt is unable to battle! Hariyama wins! The victor is the Gym Leader, Lora!"

The challenger picked her Pokémon up in her arms. "Are you okay, Snorunt?"

"Sno..." It nodded.

"Elaine?"

The girl turned around when she heard her name being called. "Davin! What are you doing here?"

"Do you really have to ask? This is a gym."

She chuckled. "Silly me."

"So I take it that you two know each other?" Lora said as she walked towards them.

"Yeah." Elaine nodded. "We met a while back when my Wingull accidentally fell on him."

"What an interesting way to meet." She laughed.

"Lora, was it?" Davin asked. "I'd like to have a gym battle with you!"

"All right, I accept. But can it wait until tomorrow? My Pokémon are pretty tired from the last few battles we had today."

"Sure. Cool with me."

A few hours later, Davin and Elaine were sitting at the Pokémon center while their Pokémon were eating.

"So you managed to get another badge?" Davin asked.

"Yep. It was a bit difficult at first, but I managed to pull my way through." She glanced at Davin's Pokémon. "I see that your Grovyle has evolved."

"Yeah. I'm planning on using him in my battle with Lora. Now that he's obtained some new moves, there's no way we won't win."

Elaine frowned. "I wouldn't get too confident. Lora's a lot tougher than you think."

"I know, but I can't help but feel that this is a definite win!"

"Do you ever change?" Elaine laughed.

* * *

The next day, Davin and Lora were prepared to start; Elaine decided to stay and watch Davin's battle.

A male referee stood on the side of the battlefield. "The battle between the Gym leader, Lora, and the challenger, Davin, will now begin This will be a 3-on-3 battle; the match is over when either side's Pokémon are unable to continue. Only the challenger may substitute his Pokémon."

"Are you ready, Davin?"

"Always! Let's get started, Lora!"

The ref. raised both of his flags. "Begin!"

Lora threw her first Poké ball. "I choose you, Heracross!"

"Heracro!" The insect Pokémon said.

Davin looked it up. "Let's see who we're dealing with."

"Heracross, the Single Horn Pokémon. Although it's sometimes docile, it will attack its enemies with its large horn if it is disturbed."

"Since it's part Bug type, I know the perfect choice." Davin threw his Poké ball. "Let's go, Aduro!"

"Monfer!" The primate Pokémon screeched.

"You can have the first move, Davin." Lora said.

"Fine by me! Aduro, let's start things off with Blaze Kick!" It jumped in the air and was landing toward Heracross with its fiery foot.

"Grab it." Heracross caught Aduro's foot with its bare hands, though the fire didn't seem to harm it.

Davin was shocked. "That was so quick..."

"Now use Megahorn!" Heracross's horn glowed and it pierced Aduro's body with it, making the latter fall on its back.

"Use Focus Blast!" The Fire Pokemon retaliated by hurling its fighting energy sphere, but Heracross dodged the move by flying into the air.

"Dig!" Head-first, Heracross dove straight into the ground.

"Like that's going to work. Aduro, smash the ground with Brick Break!" With a single hit, an energy wave was sent through the ground and Heracross was forced out of it. "Use Flame Wheel!" Aduro landed a direct hit with its rolling move.

"Counter with Fury Attack!" Heracross flew at it, but Aduro jumped and used Flame Wheel again to make another successful direct hit.

"Can you continue?" She asked it. Heracross flew in mid-air, but it immediately crashed down and fainted.

"Heracross is unable to battle! Monferno wins!"

"Great work, Aduro!" Davin said. "That was way too easy."

"Don't get cocky, Davin." Elaine said to herself. "That was only her first Pokémon."

Lora returned Heracross. "Not bad, Davin. But let's see how you handle my next Pokémon!" She threw her Poké ball and a human-like Pokémon appeared on the field; it was brown and its upper body was sort of egg-shaped. Davin looked it up.

"Hitmonlee, the Kicking Pokémon. It is able to kick in succession from any position and it is able to extend and retract its legs to kick from a distance."

"_Looks strong..._" He thought. He held up a Poké ball. "Return, Aduro!" In a flash of red light, Aduro disappeared.

He sent out his next Pokémon. "Go, Quake!"

"Donphan!" she bellowed.

"Okay! Use Rollout!"

"Hitmonlee, use Mega Kick!" When Quake was near him, Hitmonlee slipped his foot under her and sent her flying into the ceiling, causing Davin to gasp. "Follow up with Rolling Kick!" It stood on its right leg with its left leg sticking out and its entire body spun into the air after Quake.

"Quake, use Rock Smash!" It was too late. Quake was kicked and she fell to the ground.

"Can you still battle?" He asked. Quake stood to her feet. "All right! Fire Fang!"

"Double Team!" Illusionary copies of Hitmonlee surrounded Quake, who was trying to figure out which one was real.

"Attack all of them until you find the real one!" She went from right to left, biting only the copies, but when all of them disappeared, the real one was nowhere to be seen. "Huh? Where'd it go?"

"Donphan!" Quake said in shock as she saw Hitmonlee in the air.

"Mega Kick!"

"Rollout! Now!"

When they made contact in mid-air, Hitmonlee placed its foot on Quake's side and kicked her to the wall. When she fell, she fainted.

"Donphan is unable to battle! Hitmonlee wins!"

"_I knew it. He's becoming cocky._" Elaine thought.

With a bit of frustration, Davin returned Quake to her Poké ball. "That Hitmonlee's a lot tougher than I expected." He threw out his next Pokéball. "I choose you, Bark!"

"Sceptile!" he said.

"_It may look bad now, but I'm not going to lose!_" Davin thought. "Watch out! Here I come!"


	41. Chapter 41 - Spirit Of The Battler

"Hitmonlee, use Rolling Kick!"

"Bark, use X-Scissor!"

Both came at each other, but Hitmonlee was able to dodge while spinning.

"Go into Rock Climb!" With a powerful stomp, the ground below Bark protruded into a giant mountain that grew under his feet. Hitmonlee ran up said mountain with its feet glowing white.

"Bark, dodge it with Quick Attack!" He jumped into the air, but Hitmonlee caught up to him and kicked Bark on the side of his face, which resulted in him crashing to the ground; the giant mountain slowly began to decease as he went to the ground.

"Now, Hitmonlee! Use Mega Kick!"

"_Ugh! I can't stand those stupid kicking attacks anymore!_" Davin thought. "Bark! Shield yourself and use Solar Beam!" The Sceptile crossed his arms in front of him as the nodules on its back began to glow.

"_Uh-oh. If that Solar Beam hits, that could end it._" Lora thought. "Hitmonlee, use Double Team!" The Kicking Pokemon jumped back and created its illusionary copies.

"_Hmm. Not bad, Lora._" Davin thought. "_You think by using Double Team, you'll be able to avoid Solar Beam and Bark will get tired from firing at all of them. Unfortunately, I have a plan to counteract that._" Soon, Bark's nodules stopped glowing. "Okay, Bark! Jump!"

"What?" Lora said when he was in the air.

"Aim for the one that has a shadow!" Seeing that the one on the far left had one, a white beam was released from his mouth and blasted the real Hitmonlee.

"Oh no!"

"Follow with Focus Punch!" Hitmonlee was hit with a smooth uppercut and its head hit the ceiling, resulting to it falling and having fainted when it landed.

"Hitmonlee is unable to battle! Sceptile wins!"

"Yes! It worked!" Davin cheered.

"Not a bad strategy, Davin." Elaine said to herself. "You're doing pretty good... Although, her last Pokémon might not be so easy to handle."

"So, Lora, what do you think of my skills?" He boasted.

"I have to say, your Pokémon are strong." She said as she returned Hitmonlee. "But the real battle's just getting started!" She threw her last Poké ball. "Let's show 'em, Hariyama!"

"Hari-Yama!" The big Pokémon shouted.

"That's the Pokémon Elaine was fighting earlier." Davin said as he looked it up.

"Hariyama, the Arm Thrust Pokémon, and the evolved form of Makuhita. Although its body appears fat, it's made up of solid muscle. It has the power to stop a train with one slap."

"_Judging how it's her last Pokémon, it must be strong._" Davin thought. "_But no matter!_ Bark, use Quick Attack!"

"Hariyama, Whirlwind!" It swung both of its arms and a powerful gust of wind blew Bark into the ceiling. "Now use Seismic Toss!" Hariyama jumped and grabbed Bark while it was falling; both began to spin rapidly and Hariyama threw Bark to the ground, causing him to faint.

"Sceptile is unable to battle! Hariyama wins!"

"Whoa! That was so fast. This could be a problem..." Davin worriedly said to himself.

"Hate to say I told him so..." Elaine said to herself.

"Scared yet, Davin?" Lora asked.

"Not even a little!" He said as he returned Bark. He took out his last Pokéball and stared hard at it. "Good luck. I'm counting on you." With a throw, Aduro appeared in a flash of light.

"_All of Hariyama's moves are powerful, so I better be careful of how I should use __**my**__ moves._" He thought.

"Hariyama, use Whirlwind!"

"Jump and dodge it!" Aduro wasn't quick enough and it was blown into the ceiling like Bark was earlier.

"Seismic Toss!"

"Not this time! Aduro, Blaze Kick!" It kicked Hariyama, but it wasn't effective and Hariyama tossed Aduro to the ground. "What the-? Why didn't Blaze Kick work?"

Lora chuckled. "I guess you don't know about Hariyama's Thick Fat ability."

"Thick Fat?"

"It's an ability that reduces the damage of all Fire and Ice attacks." Elaine called out to him. "That's how she got _me_. Remember when my Snorunt's Ice Shard didn't work? _That_ was Thick Fat."

"Oh. Well, that explains a lot." He muttered. Aduro managed to get back on its feet. "So, if Fire attacks are reduced, then that means the only attacks that'll cause damage are Focus Blast and Brick Break. Although, it won't do much since Hariyama's a Fighting type as well."

"Use Arm Thrust, Hariyama!"

"Aduro, use Focus Blast straight to its head!" The sphere was successful in doing so and it exploded on contact, making Hariyama dazed. "Quick! Flame Wheel!" Aduro hit Hariyama on its neck, but it still wasn't effective enough.

"Hariyama, use Earthquake!" By stomping on the ground, shock waves went through it to make direct contact to Aduro.

"Oh no!"

"Follow with Arm Thrust!" Hariyama hit Aduro with hands again and again, causing multiple bits of damage.

"Focus Blast!" Aduro was slapped before it could charge up and it hit the ground.

"Can you go on?" Davin asked it.

"Mon!" It nodded as it stood up.

"I'm impressed, Davin. Your Monferno has a lot of spirit." Lora commented.

"You got that right! Aduro's spirit is what gets it through these kinds of battles. Right, Aduro?"

Aduro started to growl with intensity.

"Huh?" The boy had never seen Aduro growl before. Suddenly, Aduro ran at Hariyama at full speed, jumped into the air, and began to hit Hariyama violently using its hands, feet, and tail.

"Is that...?" Lora said.

"It can't be...!" Elaine said.

"Aduro's... using Close Combat?!" Davin said in surprise.

After hitting Hariyama with a powerful swing of its tail, it jumped back to Davin's side, began screeching at the top of its lungs, and started to glow with white light.

Davin, Elaine, and Lora all gasped in utter shock.

Aduro's body began to grow; its arms and legs lengthened, as well as its tail. Right at that moment, a new and improved Aduro was on the battlefield.

"AMAZING!" Davin shouted as he looked up Aduro's new form.

"Infernape, the Flame Pokémon, and the evolved form of Monferno. The fiery crown on its head burns like its personality. When it comes to speed, it can not be beaten."

"INFEEEEEEERRRRRRRRR!" Aduro screeched.

"This is too cool! Okay, Aduro, let's win this! Use Close Combat!" It rapidly beat Hariyama's body and sent it flying across the room with a single kick.

"Wow!" Elaine shouted.

"Hariyama, are you all right?" Lora asked it.

"Yama!" It said.

"Okay! Use Arm Thrust!"

"Block it, Aduro!"

Both Pokémon slammed their hands against each other and began to push. While one was gaining the upper hand, the other was quickly able to regain itself.

"This is amazing! They're pushing each other like sumo wrestlers in a ring." Lora noticed.

Aduro's feet slid across the floor as Hariyama pushed. It strained to push back, but it wasn't able to progress.

"Come on, Aduro! You can do it!" Davin cheered.

Aduro pushed and pushed, but it was no use; Hariyama picked up Aduro and threw him into the wall.

"ADURO!" Davin shouted. It slid to the ground and fainted.

"Infernape is unable to battle! Hariyama wins! The victor is the gym leader, Lora!"

Davin ran to his Pokémon. "Are you all right, Aduro?"

"Infer..." It said weakly.

He smiled. "You did great. Now you're in your final evolution form, just like Bark."

A hand appeared in front of Davin's face. It belonged to Elaine. "You were really great, Davin!" She said as she helped him up.

"Thanks. But it's too bad that I lost." He frowned.

"Yeah. It is." Lora said, walking to them. "But you have a lot of strength, Davin." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a badge that looked like a silver fist. "I want you to have this Stamina Badge."

"What?! But I didn't win. Why do you want me to have it?"

"You gave such an excellent battle today! How could I not give you a badge?" She smiled as she put in his hand.

Davin stared it. "Well... I don't know..."

"Go ahead and take it, Davin." Elaine said. "Even though you didn't win, you showed excellent strength and balance in your battle. You've earned it."

"You think so?" He took another look at the badge and nodded. "Okay! Thank you, Lora." He showed it to Aduro. "Check it out! We got the Stamina Badge!"

"Infer!" It nodded.


	42. Chapter 42 - Davin's First Contest

Davin gazed at his new Stamina Badge as it glistened in the sunlight. "Badge #6! Awesome!" He flipped open his Pokégear to check his next destination. "Herba City... Judging by the name, I bet the gym leader there uses Grass Pokémon."

"Perfect! Good job!" A voice shouted. Davin walked over to the noise and saw a girl with her Pokémon.

"Now, Zubat! Use Air Cutter!" It flew around in circles at high speed while flapping its wings, releasing blades of wind into the air. "Follow with Hidden Power!" Both moves collided and exploded, creating a shower of white sparkles.

"Nicely done, Zubat." The girl said.

Zubat squeaked in response.

"Leyna?" The girl turned around at the mention of the name. "Is that you?"

"Davin? Hey! It's been a while." She said, running to him.

"Yeah. So did you manage to win the contest in Starrade City?"

Leyna frowned. "Well, no. I kind of messed up during the appeals round and I got eliminated."

"Oh."

"But..." she said, happier all of a sudden. "I won the contest in Bellhanver City!" She opened her ribbon case and showed a blue ribbon with a tiny gold medal on it.

"That's awesome!" Davin smiled.

Leyna nodded. "Just one more and I'll be able to compete in the Grand Festival."

Davin turned to the flying Pokémon that was hovering beside her. "I see you caught yourself a new Pokémon."

"Yeah." She confirmed. "In fact, this Zubat helped me win the ribbon." Davin looked it up.

"Zubat, the Bat Pokémon. Being capable of flying safely in dark places, it emits ultrasonic cries to check for any obstacles."

"So, Leyna, are there any contests coming up?"

She nodded. "As a matter of fact, one's being held in the town up ahead." She pointed to the north, where Davin saw a building over the trees.

"Cool. Hey, since I have some time, I can watch you preform."

"Cool. But, Davin..." She said questionably. "I know you said before that gym battles are more of your style, but... why don't you enter the contest with me?"

Davin sighed. "Leyna, I already said..."

"I know, but I'm just really curious as to how well you would do in a contest. Please? Just this once?"

He sighed again. "All right. Who knows? Maybe it'll be fun."

"Yay!" She cheered. Elaine recalled Zubat to its Poké ball and took Davin by the hand. "Come on! We have to get there before registration closes."

* * *

"So these are those special capsules that create those effects when a Pokémon is released?" Davin asked a few minutes later. He had just registered for a contest pass and both he and Leyna signed up for the contest.

"That's right." Leyna said. "All you have to do is put the Poké ball inside the capsule, place the kind of seal you want on any place of the capsule, toss it, and that's when the special effects appear."

"Cool." Davin said as he looked at the different seals he had.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Leyna said. "Davin, in this contest, participants will have to compete in double performances."

"Double performances?"

"It's where coordinators use two Pokémon at once during the appeals and battle round. You're allowed to use a diffrent pair with both."

"I see." He nodded. "So if this is a double performance, then how come you had Zubat training solo?"

"That was just to perfect its skills independently." She explained. Suddenly, Leyna's watch started to beep. "The contest is about to start! Come on!"

* * *

Sometime later, the contest was had begun. "Pokémon contest fans! I welcome you to the Freabul Town Pokémon contest!" Adrian, the contest MC, announced. Loud energetic fans filled the stadium with excitement. "We have eighteen coordinators competing, but only eight will make it to the semi-finals."

Davin, Leyna, and the other coordinators competing were in the waiting room, watching Adrian speak on the television screen.

"How do you feel, Davin?" Leyna asked.

"A bit nervous, but I'm okay." He admitted.

"All right! Let's get this contest under away!" Adrian said. "Our first contestant is Leyna from Fulgetra City!" The curtains opened and Leyna appeared with two Poké balls in her hands.

"Zubat! Rhydon! Take your places!" When both Poké balls opened, bubbles scattered out of them and in a flash of light, the Pokémon appeared. "Zubat, fly into the air and use Haze!" It soared upward and released a thick, black fog from its wings.

"What's this? The stadium is filled with so much fog, no one can see a thing." Adrian announced.

"Rhydon, use Thunder!" The horn on its nose began to spin like a drill and released electricity from it, causing the Haze to be surrounded in electrical sparks.

"Air Cutter!" Flapping its wings, Zubat's move completely destroyed the fog, making the air blades become engulfed in electricity. From one inch to the stadium to the other, they bounced in a wild-like fashion.

"How interesting! Zubat's Air Cutter has absorbed Thunder's effect and it's bouncing through the air."

Leyna smiled. "Let's wrap this up with Rain Dance!" Rhydon opened its mouth, generating a sphere of water, and when it shot it to the ceiling, clouds formed in the stadium and it began to rain, making the Air Cutter evaporate into yellow sparkles.

"An outstanding performance!" Adrian said. "Let's give her a big round of applause!" Cheers and clapping could be heard throughout the stadium as Leyna and her Pokémon bowed to the audience.

Back in the waiting room, Davin looked up Leyna's new Pokémon.

"Rhydon, the Drill Pokémon, and the evolved form of Rhyhorn. Upon evolution, its brain develops when it stands on its hind legs. Its rugged hide can withstand the hottest of magma."

"Rhyhorn _does_ look a lot stronger than before I last saw it." He commented.

* * *

After several appeals by the other contestants, Davin was up at number ten.

"All the way from Blazehill Town, making his contest debut is Davin!"

Feeling confident, Davin threw his Poké balls in the air. "Quake! Socius! It's time to shine!" Stars shot out of both Poké balls and Quake appeared with Socius on her back.

"Okay, Socius, jump!" With a flip, the Riolu was in mid-air. "Quake, use Rollout while using Fire Fang!" Charging, Quake's mouth began to fill with fire and when it started to roll, her entire body became enveloped in flames.

"Amazing!" Adrian announced. "With a combination of Fire Fang and Rollout, it looks like Donphan is using Flame Wheel!"

"Socius, get on top of Quake and balance yourself!" Diving down, Socius landed on Quake with its arms sticking out to try and not fall.

"And now Riolu is standing on top. It's like a circus with two Pokémon as the main stars!"

"_Cool!_" Davin thought. "_If this goes well, it will be a guarenteed advance to the next round._"

Suddenly, Socius lost its balance and fell over, causing its feet to accidently push Quake towards the stadium barriers and have it fly into the air.

"Oh no!" Davin said. Quake canceled her move and began to panic while she was in the air. "Socius, catch Quake!" With a dash, Socius made it to Quake's landing spot and caught her with its two hands.

"Wow! An excellent rescue!" Adrian said. "Give it up for Davin, everyone!" Cheers were filled through the stadium as Davin sighed of relief.

* * *

"Phew! That was a close call." Davin said as he sat on a bench in the waiting room.

"That wasn't a bad performance, but you need more work." Leyna said.

"I thought I could do it by winging it, but I guess I couldn't." Davin shrugged.

"The results are in!" Adrian announced. "These are the eight coordinators who will move on to the semi-finals!" Eight pictures appeared on the screen, two of which were Leyna's and Davin's.

"I made it!" Davin cheered as soon as he saw his picture.

"You lucked out that time, but it's not going to be easy from here on out." Leyna warned.

"I doubt it. The next round is the battle round, which is my specialty. As long as I can use my Pokémons' attacks in a style of grace, I should have no problem."

* * *

After six consecutive battles, the final round was here.

"Welcome!" Adrian announced. "On my left is Leyna, while on my right is Davin! Which coordinator will win the fabulous Freabul Ribbon?" Both stared at each other with confident looks. "Five minutes on the clock! Begin!" With the sound of a ding, the battle began.

"Bark! Aduro! Time to shine!"

"Scep!" Bark said as he appeared on the field in an array of petals.

"Infernape!" Aduro cried as it appeared on the field in a blast of flames.

"Sunkern! Teddiursa! Take your places!"

"Kern!" The seed Pokémon said as it appeared from a ribbon.

"Teddi!" The bear Pokémon said as it appeared from a heart. Davin looked it up.

"Teddiursa, the Little Bear Pokémon. It licks its paws because they are always soaked in honey. When it finds some in a forest, the crescent mark on its head glows."

Leyna had the first move. "Sunkern, use Flash!" Its leaf blinded the entire stadium as it emitted a bright light.

"Gah! I can't see anything." Davin said as he shielded his eyes. When the light faded, Teddiursa was gone. "Where'd it go?" Suddenly, Teddiursa appeared behind Bark and it hit him with a swipe of its paw.

"There goes Teddiursa's Faint Attack!" Adrian announced.

"Why didn't I see that coming?" He muttered. "Aduro, use Blaze Kick on Sunkern!"

"Teddiursa, Protect!" Before Aduro could strike, Teddiursa got in front of Sunkern and a green dome-shaped shield covered them both, blocking the Blaze Kick; Davin's points decreased. "Sunny Day!" Sunkern's leaf glowed and the sun's rays turned intense through the stadium.

"Perfect. Bark, get ready to attack!" It stood on its feet, ready to fight back.

"Now, Sunkern. Solar Beam!"

"Use your Solar Beam as well, Bark!"

Both of the fired beams of white collided into an explosion, causing both of their points to decrease.

"Aduro, use Brick Break on Teddiursa!"

"Grasswhistle, Sunkern!" A melody came from Sunkern's voice and in mid-attack, Aduro fell asleep, causing more of Davin's points to decrease.

"This isn't looking good for me." He said to himself. "Bark, X-Scissor on Sunkern!"

"Counter with Solar Beam!" Although Solar Beam was a powerful move, Sunkern's power wasn't as strong as Bark's. X-Scissor broke through and hit Sunkern, causing Leyna's points to decrease.

She wasn't worried. "Teddiursa, Dig!" Once it was in the ground, Davin knew what she was up to.

"She's trying to target Aduro. Bark, pick up Aduro and jump!" With a quick dash, Bark took his teammate in his arms and jumped right after Teddiursa came up from the ground.

"What an intense battle that's unfolding!" Adrian commented.

"Bark, fire a Solar Beam at Teddiursa!"

"Protect!" Solar Beam was broken when it hit the shield; Davin's points continued to go down.

"We've just passed the four minute mark! Only three remain."

Davin clenched his fists. "_This is so_ _frustrating! I can't use my original battle style because of this stupid elegance rule! I shouldn't be allowed to lose to a Teddiursa and a Sunkern!_"

"Let's try a double attack! Sunkern, use Solar Beam and Teddiursa, use Hidden Power!" Both Pokémon were charging their moves, but before they could release them, a voice shouted, "STOP!"

Everyone turned their attention to Davin, who was shaking with frustration. "I... I forfeit!"

"Sceptile?!" Bark said when he heard those words; Aduro had just woken up at that moment. Leyna was a bit disturbed by this.

"Well..." Adrian said, a bit thrown off. "With that, it looks like the winner of the Freabul Pokémon contest is... Leyna!" A picture of Leyna and her two Pokémon appeared on screen, under the word "Winner". Everyone cheered for them, but Leyna still was in shock.

Later, the judges awarded her the ribbon. "I hear that this is your fifth." One of the judges said. "That means you qualify for the Grand Festival!"

"Thank you so much." Leyna said. She held the ribbon into the air as the audience clapped and cheered.

* * *

Afterwards, Davin was sitting in the lobby with Bark and Aduro. "I'm sorry about that, guys... I guess I just couldn't do it."

"Scep." Bark gave him a disapproving look.

"Infer?" Aduro cocked its head a little in confusion.

Just then, Leyna walked towards Davin. "Congratulations, Leyna." He said as he stood up.

"Thanks, but... why'd you do that?" She sounded a little angry.

Davin sighed. "It's just... contest battles aren't my thing. I was limited in using my own battle style and I knew I couldn't win because I've never done it before."

"Well, maybe if you practiced, you'll be able to get the hang of it."

Davin shook his head. "Nah. That would only be necessary if I _wanted_ to become a coordinator. But my goal is to win the Varex League, and that's one thing that's _never_ going to change!"

Leyna nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry I made you enter in the first place."

"It's all right. You just wanted to see how I would do, right? No harm done." Both of them shook hands. "Good luck in the Grand Festival. I'll be rooting for you!"

"Good luck conquering the Varex League." She smiled.

With those words said, Davin recalled Bark and Aduro to their Poké balls, exited the contest hall, and headed south towards Herba City.


	43. Chapter 43 - Iron Confrontation

As Davin continued his way towards Herbia City, he found himself lost in a barren wasteland.

"I knew it." He muttered to himself as he walked. "I knew I should've taken the path on the right, but something told me to take the left one. Why?" He fanned himself as he took a look at his Pokégear. Not even _it _knew where he was.

Davin groaned. "Well, this is just perfect. Could things possibly get any worse?" His question was answered when he felt the earth start to shake beneath him.

"W-W-What the heck is thi-i-is?" He said as his voice shook with the ground. Right then, a large creature emerged from the ground, roaring in a violent manner; being the curious guy he was, Davin looked it up.

"Steelix, the Iron Snake Pokémon, and the evolved form of Onix. It can chew its way through boulders with its sturdy jaws and its eyes can see in the darkness when it's underground."

The giant Pokémon stared down at Davin.

"Uh... hey there, Steelix." He said nervously. "How's it going?" It responded by using an Iron Tail, which he avoided by jumping out of the way.

"Looks like it's that time again." He said as he grabbed one of his Poké Balls. "I choose you, Hearth!"

"Magmar!" The Spitfire Pokémon said as it appeared. Steelix came at him with its Crunch attack.

"Hearth, use Fire Spin!" It breathed a swirling fire and Steelix roared in pain as it was scorched. "Now use Fire Punch!" Hearth jumped towards Steelix's jaw with its fist on fire, but he was cut off by the snake's sneak attack with its tail.

"_Seems like Hearth's fire moves aren't doing any good_." He thought. He recalled him to his Poké Ball and threw a different one. "Go, Aduro!" The ape Pokémon screeched as it came out.

"All right! Use Close Combat!" Aduro ran to attack it, but Steelix retaliated with Sandstorm by swinging its giant tail once; the Fire Pokémon tried to stand its ground as the force of the Sandstorm began to move it.

"Try to break through with your Blaze Kick!" With a single jump, it managed to clear the most of the Sandstorm and kick Steelix's head. "Good. Flame Wheel!" The Infernape came rolling at it, Steelix's Iron Tail intercepting it and knocking Aduro to the ground.

At that moment, Davin noticed Steelix starting to breathe heavily. "We're wearing it down, Aduro! Let's see if we can end this with Brick Break!" Regaining its stamina, Aduro dashed towards Steelix with its fist glowing. Steelix tried to stop it with Iron Tail, but the primate avoided it by jumping and landed a solid hit to the center of its body. The large Pokémon began to faintly sway and it collapsed to the ground.

"Perfect! Now... Go, Poké Ball!"

With a single throw, the Poké ball hit Steelix and it was sucked inside in a red flash. The ball began to shake repeatedly as Davin stared at it in hope it would stay. With three more shakes, the Poké Ball stood still as the red beeping shut off.

"Yeah!" Davin rejoiced as he ran over to pick it up. "I caught a Steelix!"

After he thanked Aduro and returned it to its Poké Ball, Davin sent out his new Pokémon. "Hey, Steelix. Since you live around here, do you know the way out?"

It nodded its head, suddenly friendly, and bent down to give him a lift.

"Okay! Let's go!" Davin climbed on to the top of its head and Steelix began to slither to the north of the wasteland where they would exit and continue on to Herbia City.


	44. Chapter 44 - Riolu See, Riolu Do

"Davin!" Nurse Joy called to the young boy. "Your Pokémon are all healthy as can be."

"Thank you very much." Davin said as he took his Poké balls from her. He was in a place called Green Lake Town where, as the name suggests, is famous for its beautiful lake of water Pokémon.

"_I wonder what kinds of water Pokémon are in the lake?_" He thought. "_Maybe I should go check it out._"

* * *

After going west of town, Davin arrived at the glistening lake.

"Wow! It _is_ beautiful as everyone says." He said as he took in the scenery. Right then, he noticed a boy standing a few feet away from him to the right.

When the boy noticed him, he asked, "Hey! Are you a Pokémon trainer?"

"Yeah." Davin nodded.

The boy took a Poké ball from his pocket. "My name is Frasier. I challenge you to a battle!"

Davin nodded. "Okay. Let's do it!"

Frasier threw his Poké ball in the air and a bird-like Pokémon with two heads appeared; Davin looked it up.

"Doduo, the Twin Bird Pokémon. By alternately raising and lowering its two heads, it balances itself to be more stable while running."

"A Flying type." He said to himself. Davin threw his Pokéball. "Go, Socius!"

"Rio!" The jackal-like Pokémon said as it appeared.

"What? A Fighting type against a Flying type?" Frasier said in surprise.

"I know what you're thinking, but this Riolu is a lot more powerful than it seems."

"We'll just see. Doduo, use Drill Peck!" The beaks of the two headed Pokémon glowed and started to spin rapidly as it ran towards its foe.

"Counter!" Socius' body glowed red and as soon as Drill Peck hit, Doduo was knocked backwards and it skidded across the grass. "Now, Sky Uppercut!"

"Doduo, Uproar!" It began to caw loudly as hypersonic sound waves hit Socius' body. "Now use Brave Bird!" It lowered its heads and began to charge towards Socius as its body became covered in flames.

"Socius, use Detect!" Doduo hit Socius before it could do anything, with the flames on its body turning into a blue aura. "Are you okay?" It managed to stand on its feet, despite the amount of damage it had taken; Doduo began to groan slightly as the recoil from Brave Bird took its toll.

"Your Riolu is pretty good." Frasier said.

"Doduo's not so bad either." Davin said.

"But this battle is over! Doduo, use Aerial Ace!" It began to run as streaks of light surrounded its body.

Davin noticed that Socius still looked hurt from Doduo's Brave Bird. "Can you go on?" He asked it. Socius made a stance and began to run as streaks of light surrounded _its _body.

"What? Impossible!" Frasier gasped.

"Socius is using Aerial Ace?!" Davin asked in surprise.

The two Pokémon collided into each other with neither taking damage.

"But... a Riolu can't learn Aerial Ace. How is that possible?" Frasier said.

"It's not. Unless..." Davin gasped. "Socius! You just learned Copycat, didn't you?"

"Rio." It nodded its head to him.

"So that explains it." Frasier said to himself. "No matter. Doduo, use Brave Bird!"

"Socius, use Copycat!"

Both of them ran at each other with their bodies covered in blue auras and as soon as they collided, both flew back on to the ground.

Socius struggled to stand as Brave Bird's recoil hit; Doduo did the same, but failed as it hit the ground and lost consciousness.

"Yes! We won!" Davin said as he picked up Socius. "You were great, Socius. You hung in there and you did awesome!"

"Riolu!" It nodded happily.

"Are you okay, Doduo?" Frasier asked. Both heads moaned slightly. "Take a good rest." He said as it disappeared inside.

"You two were excellent." Davin said as he walked towards him.

"Thanks. So were you two." He grinned.

Both of them shook hands, said goodbye to each other, and Davin went back to the Pokémon Center to heal Socius. Afterwards, he left the town and went on.


	45. Chapter 45 - Lick Up The Tension

"Okay, gang! Time to eat!" Davin's Pokémon cheered as they each received a bowl of Pokémon food; Maximus, Davin's Steelix, received a larger portion of food due to its gigantic size.

While his Pokémon ate, Davin was thinking about Herbia City. "_Only two more to go._" He thought. "_I'm so stoked!_" Suddenly, a blast of electricity shot through the air from a far distance. Davin stood up. "What was that? A Thunderbolt?"

He immediately returned his Pokémon. "Sorry, guys. Lunch is going to have to wait." He dashed towards the source of electricity as another blast of it shot through the sky.

When he reached the spot, he found out where it came from. A male trainer with a Jolteon was battling Davin's rival.

"Jett?" Davin said as he recognized him.

"Jolteon, use Charge Beam!" The male trainer commanded. The spikes on its back rose as lightning was released from them.

"Typhlosion, use Flamethrower!" Jett commanded. The flames on its back grew bigger as it released fire from its mouth. An explosion occurred with the collision, causing smoke to spread.

"Great. I can't see anything." The trainer mumbled. When the smoke cleared, Typhlosion was high in the air.

"Finish this with Overheat!" With its body turning dark red, a huge fire blast came from its mouth and hit Jolteon, causing it to faint.

"Jolteon, no!"

Jett folded his arms. "Just goes to show, Adam, you need a lot more training."

Disappointed, Adam recalled his Jolteon. "I just can't believe it."

"Remember: You and your Pokémon need to understand each other in order to win battles. You have to work together."

Adam was silent for a moment and then he nodded. "Okay. I'll remember that. Thank you, Jett." With a wave of goodbye, he was off.

"Excellent work as usual, Typhlosion." Jett said to it.

"Ty!" It grunted.

Jett turned around to leave, but saw Davin standing there. "So did you enjoy watching us win?"

"Well, I wouldn't say _that_, but you two were pretty good." He said as he walked over to them. "So, who was that guy anyway?"

Jett frowned. "He wanted to battle me because he heard of my victory at the Priheart gym. He said he wanted to test his skills on me, but as you saw, those skills weren't good enough."

"I see." Davin took out his Pokédex.

"Typhlosion, the Volcano Pokémon, and the evolved form of Quilava. If its rage peaks higher than normal, it becomes so hot that anything that touches it will instantly go up in flames."

Davin grinned. "So little Cyndaquil's all grown up, eh?"

"Yep. And we're going to win the Varex League for sure."

Davin scoffed. "Don't plan on it! There's no way I'm going to let you win so easily."

"Oh, really? Well, how many badges have you got?"

Davin took out his badge case and opened it. "Six beauties in a case! You?" Jett smirked as he took out his badge case and opened it. Davin gasped as he saw **eight** badges in the case. "No... WAY!"

"That's right. All eight. Guess we know who'll win now, huh, Davy?" He snickered as he started to walk off.

"Jett!" Davin called.

He put a hand up to silence him. "Sure, Davin. But let's make it one-on-one this time, 'kay?"

Davin blinked twice out of surprise and nodded. "Cool!"

* * *

Both trainers took their positions. Jett had recalled Typhlosion to its Poké ball so it could rest.

"Ready?" Jett asked.

"Like you need to ask!" Davin answered.

Jett threw his Poké ball. "Go, Lickitung!"

"Licki." The pink Pokémon said as it came out. Davin looked it up.

"Lickitung, the Licking Pokémon. Its tongue has well-developed nerves that run to the very tip so that it can be deftly manipulated. The saliva that oozes from it can stick to anything."

"All right, then." Davin threw his Poké ball. "Let's go, Maximus!" The giant Steel type roared as it appeared.

"Whoa, Davin, a Steelix? Not bad." Jett slightly grinned.

Davin chuckled. "Isn't it? I just caught it, so this'll be its first battle."

"Let's see how long it'll last. Lickitung, use Supersonic!"

"Dodge it, Maximus!" The sonic waves from Lickitung's mouth were evaded by it leaning its body to the right. "Now use Iron Tail!"

"You use Iron Tail too, Lickitung!" Both came at each other with their glowing tails, but with Maximus' tail being bigger, Lickitung was hit.

"Use Crunch!"

"Stop it with Screech!" Lickitung made a loud, ear-piercing sound that made Maximus stop its attack. "Good. Now, Supersonic!" This time, Maximus was hit and it started to move around in a dazed manner.

"Oh no." Davin said.

"Earthquake!" Lickitung slammed the ground and the shockwaves it created sent Maximus flying into the air; it landed with a huge thud.

"Come on, Maximus! Snap out of it!"

"Use Earthquake one more time!" It was a repeat of what happened before.

"Come on! Use Iron Tail!" Maximus swung to its right, away from its target, and hit Lickitung before it could fully swing it in that direction due to the length of its large tail. Right then, Maximus' confusion wore off.

"Yes!" Davin said. "Maximus, use Flash Cannon!" Silver light charged inside its mouth and a silver beam of light hit Lickitung directly, making it faint on the spot.

"Lickitung!" Jett gasped.

"We did it!" Davin cheered. "Great job, Maximus!"

Jett recalled Lickitung while Davin recalled Maximus. "Okay. I'll give you that one, Davin. but don't think that'll happen at the Varex League!"

With that said, Jett walked away, leaving Davin with even more determination to defeat him in the Varex League.


	46. Chapter 46 - Vs Reaf

"Okay." Davin took in a deep breath and exhaled. "It's time." He exited the Pokémon Center of Herbia City. After traveling for a certain amount of days, he was finally able to make it.

Davin knocked on the door of the gym. "Hello? Anyone here?" He slightly opened it and to his surprise, the inside of the gym looked like a giant greenhouse. "Amazing!" He said as he looked around.

"Why, thank you." A guy said, watering the plants. He looked about 19. "So I take it you're here for a battle?"

"That's right. My name is Davin."

The guy put down the pail he was holding. "Well then, hello. I am the Gym Leader, Reaf." He walked past him to his side of the battlefield. "Shall we get started?"

"Uh... yeah." He nodded. "_Boy, this guy's a bit weird._" When Davin walked to his end, Reaf clapped twice and a female referee stepped to the side of the field.

"The battle between the Gym Leader, Reaf, and the challenger, Davin, will now begin!" She announced. "Each trainer will use 3 Pokémon. Only the challenger may substitute his Pokémon." She raised both of her flags into the air. "Begin!"

Reaf took a Poké ball from his belt and threw it. "Okay, Cacnea. You're up!"

"Cacnea!" The spiky green Pokémon shouted.

"Cacnea, the Cactus Pokémon." The Pokédex spoke. "By storing water in its body, Cacnea can survive 30 days without water."

"All right." Davin threw his Poké ball. "I choose you, Hearth!"

"Magmar!" Hearth said with his deep voice.

"Okay, Cacnea. Needle Arm!"

"Hearth, use Fire Punch!"

Canea's arm glowed white as Hearth's arm caught on fire. The two battlers' fists collided, causing their attacks to cancel.

"Now, Cacnea. Swords Dance!" Both of Cacnea's arms glowed purple and it began to swing them in an odd fashion.

"Hearth, use Lava Plume!" An explosion surrounded the entire field, but after the smoke cleared, Cacnea was missing. "Where'd it go?" Davin questioned.

"Sucker Punch!" Hearth received an uppercut from Cacnea, who appeared right under him.

"Hearth, Fire Spin!"

"Dodge and use Needle Arm!" Cacnea spun around the spiral flames and hit Hearth on his right cheek.

"That Cacnea's a lot stronger than I expected." Davin said to himself. "What am I gonna do?"

"Now, Cacnea. Use Spikes!" Multiple glowing red spikes scattered across Hearth's feet as Cacnea spun around.

"Use Iron Tail!" Hearth jumped into the air and made his attempt, but Cacnea caught his tail with its arms.

"Now, toss it!" While spinning, Cacnea released Hearth, causing him to hit his head on the wall and lose consciousness.

The referee raised her right flag. "Magmar is unable to battle! Cacnea wins!"

Hearth was recalled. "Whoa. That's no ordinary Cacnea." Davin sent out his next Pokémon. "Go, Socius!"

"Olu!" It said. Right then, a number of explosions were set off around Socius.

"Oh! I forgot about Spikes." Davin said.

"Okay, Cacnea. Use Swords Dance!"

Davin smiled. "Socius, use Copycat!"

"What?" Reaf gasped.

Both Pokémon swung their purple glowing arms in different ways.

"_Since I couldn't defeat Cacnea with my own moves, I should be able to take it down with __**its own**__ moves instead._" Davin thought.

"Cacnea, use Sucker Punch!"

"Use Copycat again!"

Both Pokémon hit each other, but still maintained themselves.

"Use Needle Arm!"

"Detect!" Cacnea swung repeatedly, missing every single shot as Socius' eyes glowed green. "Now! Force Palm!" Socius exerted the energy stored in its palm when it touched Cacnea. The Grass Pokémon's body started to tingle with yellow-green sparks.

"Oh no! Cacnea's paralyzed."

"Wrap this up with Sky Uppercut!" Socius ran at high speed and hit Cacnea with its powered up fist, causing it to impact to the wall and faint.

The referee raised her left flag. "Cacnea is unable to battle! Riolu wins!"

"Yes! Nice going, Socius!" Davin said.

Reaf recalled Cacnea. "Not bad, Davin. Not bad at all." He took out his second Poké ball from his belt. "Now, Cherrim. Let's go!" A flower-like Pokémon with it's petals covering its body appeared.

"Cherrim, the Blossom Pokémon, and the evolved form of Cherubi. When it senses strong sunlight, it opens its folded petals to absorb the sun's rays."

"I think we can handle this one. Socius, Sky Uppercut!"

"Dodge, Cherrim." Socius' fist was evaded. "Use Sunny Day!" Two white orbs appeared on its head. Both flew into the air and combined together to create a bright sunlight; Cherrim's petals started to unfold and its Sunshine Form was revealed.

"Cool!" Davin commented.

"Now use Solar Beam!" Cherrim's petals glowed white, absorbing the sun's rays, and it quickly fired a white beam from its center.

"Dodge it!" Socius was hit because of the attack's speed. "All right, then. Anything they can do, we can do better. Use Copycat!" The white, rounded bumps on Socius' forepaws began to glow. By putting its arms together, it was able to release the beam from its fists.

"Counter with Hyper Beam!" Cherrim fired a yellow-orange beam that made contact with Socius' Solar Beam, causing an explosion.

"Quick, Socius! Jump!" It was soon in the air right above Cherrim. "Copycat!" The Riolu fired its own Hyper Beam, which hit Cherrim and caused it to faint immediately.

"Cherrim is unable to battle! Riolu wins!"

"You're doing great, Socius! Keep it up!"

Cherrim was recalled. "Oh, dear. It seems I'm down to my last Pokémon." Reaf said.

"Huh?" Davin wondered. "He said that so calmly. Could he have a trick up his sleeve?"

Reaf threw his Poké ball. "Okay, Torterra. It's time!"

"Terraaaaaaa!" It roared. Davin looked shocked as he looked it up.

"Torterra, the Continent Pokémon. When groups of these Pokémon migrate in search of water, they are sometimes mistaken as moving forests."

"Just like a Gym Leader to save the best for last." Davin said. "Let's go, Socius!" The Pokémon started to tremble a bit with its eyes closed. "Oh, I forgot. Once a Pokémon uses Hyper Beam, it needs to recharge."

"All right, Torterra. Iron Head!" Torterra's body became surrounded in a white aura and it sent Socius flying into the ceiling.

When it landed to the ground, Davin asked, "You okay?" and it responded by steadily getting to its feet.

"It can't go on for much longer." Reaf said. "Torterra, Stone Edge!" Two light blue rings surrounded Torterra's body and they transformed into circling chunks of stones. Its eyes glowed green and the rocks were fired.

"Use Detect!" Socius bended over on its back as the rocks flew across its body. Unfortunately, Torterra was able to make the stones come back around and hit Socius, making it lose the fight.

"Riolu is unable to battle! Torterra wins!"

Socius was recalled. "Great work, buddy. I'm proud of you." Davin said to it. He took out his last Poké ball. "If it's Torterra we're up against..." He threw the Pokéball. "...Then I choose you, Bark!"

"Sceptile!" It said.

"Ah. A Sceptile. Quite an elegant Pokémon." Reaf said.

"All right, Bark! Let's win this!" He pointed forward. "Quick Attack!"

"Seize it with Frenzy Plant!" Giant, thorned roots erupted from the ground and they constricted Bark, practically crushing him in their grasp. "Toss it!" Bark was sent straight into the ceiling.

As he fell, Reaf called out, "Stone Edge!" and in no time, the stones were on their way.

"Bark, block it with X-Scissor!" Regaining his focus, Bark managed to cancel Stone Edge with its attack. "Focus Punch!"

"Use Iron Head!" Bark landed a hit with his fist, but not having been affected, Torterra sent him across the field with its move. "Follow with Energy Ball!"

"Send it back, Bark!" Torterra launched a green sphere from its mouth, but with a swing of Bark's fist, it was hit by its own attack. "Quickly! X-Scissor!" The two leaves on Bark's arms glowed light blue and lengthened in size. By crossing them together, an X shaped ray made contact with Torterra.

"Yes! This is going great!" Davin said.

"This match is far from over, my friend. Frenzy Plant!"

"Bark, get ready for Solar Beam!"

"Scep." Bark nodded as it began to charge up. The vines constricted him like before, but he didn't move an inch.

"Do it!" The vines tossed him towards the ceiling, but before he made contact with it, Bark released his powerful attack on to Torterra, which caused quite a bit of damage despite its non-effectiveness.

"Oh no! Torterra!" Torterra flinched a little before falling to the ground and fainting.

"Torterra is unable to battle! Sceptile wins! The victor of this battle is Davin!"

"Yeah! We won!" Davin rejoiced. "Bark, you were excellent!"

"Scep, Sceptile." He nodded.

Reaf recalled his Torterra to its Poké ball. "Congrats, Davin. You're really quite the trainer."

Davin chuckled. "Thanks. You were pretty good yourself."

Reaf dug in his pocket and took out a badge that resembled the sun. "Take this Sun Badge. You've earned it."

Davin took the badge from him. "Thank you very much." He raised the badge in the air and shouted, "Badge number seven is all mine!"


	47. Chapter 47 - A Glorious Roll-mance

"I'm doing great!" Davin said as he merrily walked along through a route. "Seven badges and only one more to go!" He checked the map on his Pokégear to verify his next location. "Let's see... It's Silex City! Perfect! Can't wait."

Suddenly, as soon as he took his next step, something big rolled past him in the blink of an eye.

"What was that?" He asked himself. The thing came back, but it rolled to the north. Curious as to what it was, Davin ran after it.

When he caught up with it, he was surprised to see that over a dozen of those rolling things were going from left to right all across a huge open field. "What is going on here?"

Right then, Davin noticed that some familiar Pokémon of the same species were sitting on rocks as they watched the rolling creatures. "Wait a minute. Those are Donphan!" He said. "But... why are they rolling around like maniacs?"

"It's because it's the Donphan's breeding season." Davin turned to his right to see a girl that looked about a couple years older than him.

"Breeding season?" He echoed.

The girl nodded. "It's the time of year where the male Donphan challenge each other for mates. They use Rollout to show the females how strong they are."

"I see." Davin said as he watched two male Donphan ramming each other in the sight of a female. "That's kind of interesting."

"My name's Patricia, by the way." She said.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Davin." He introduced himself. "So what are you doing out here?"

"See that Donphan over there?" She pointed to the north, towards a Donphan with a blue bandana around its neck. "It's mine. I'm here to let him find his mate."

Davin was a bit confused. "But if your Donphan finds a mate, won't it be difficult for him when he's with you on your journey?"

Patricia chuckled. "You don't understand. I'm going to let Donphan go once it finds its mate."

"What?! Why?"

"Because... I want him to be happy, and I feel if he stays with me, he won't get the happiness he deserves. That's why I'm determined for him to find a mate."

"Huh... I never thought of it that way." Davin pondered. "Hey, Patricia. I have a female Donphan with me. Should I let her find a mate as well?"

"Of course you should! Every Donphan needs to have a chance at happiness, right?"

Davin nodded. He threw a Poké ball into the air and his Donphan appeared in a flash of white light.

Her trainer knelt down to her. "Quake. See the male Donphan out there? Well, I want you to look your best and find yourself a mate."

"Don?" She said as she cocked her head.

Patricia kneeled down beside Davin. "Do you know what it feels like to be in love? It's a wonderful feeling, and you can only find it by going out there."

Quake pondered this for a moment, staring at the others of her kind. Deciding that it wouldn't hurt, she began to walk towards the others. "Good luck, Quake!" Davin called.

As she walked down, none of the males seemed to notice she was there as they were trying to gain the attention of the other females.

"Quake doesn't seem to be very popular." Davin noticed.

"Just give it time. I'm sure one of them will try to impress her." Patricia said. She checked up on her Donphan, seeing as it was challenging another one for a female that was eyeing them. Unfortunately, Patricia's Donphan wasn't getting nowhere and it was knocked to the side; the female came up to the victor and wrapped her trunk around his.

Patricia sighed. "Poor Earth. He hasn't been winning any of the girls' hearts since he got there."

"Wow. It must hurt to always have to lose." Davin said.

Back on the field, Earth shook himself off to get his mind back together. He looked around to see if any other females were available and his eyes stopped at Quake. All of a sudden, he found himself blushing at the vacant girl and felt like he was slowly rising off the ground.

Back at their viewing spot, Patricia said, "Oh, it's hopeless. I was so naive to believe that any of them would fall for him."

"Dooooooooon!" They heard.

Davin was the first to notice and pointed in the direction. "Check it out!"

Earth was rolling from left to right in front of Quake's gaze.

"Ah! Looks like Earth's taken a liking to your Donphan, Davin." Unfortunately for Earth, Quake was not impressed and walked off. Patricia sighed. "I guess Earth just can't win."

However, unlike his trainer, Earth didn't give up. He tried again, but this time, he rolled towards a large rock and broke it upon contact. Again, Quake walked off.

Davin uneasily laughed. "Weird. All this time I've been Quake's trainer, I never knew she was that hard to impress."

"Don't give up, Earth! I know you can do it!" Patricia encouraged.

More determined than before, Earth rolled in front of Quake again, lifted himself into the air, and impacted the ground to cause a earthquake that ruined the other Donphan's current attempts to win over the females. When Earth landed, the diva walked off yet again.

"_I don't understand. How could Quake not be impressed by now? What specific quality is she looking for?_" Davin thought.

Earth sighed at his defeat until the other males gathered around him, angry that he had messed up their attempts.

"Don... Don, Don..." Earth tried to explain, but the others were about to charge at him until they heard a loud roar in the distance.

"What was that?" Davin asked.

Patricia gasped. "Oh no! Not now...!" Suddenly, a huge bear Pokémon burst from the trees and roared angrily, making the other Donphan flee out of terror. Davin looked up this Pokémon in his Pokédex.

"Ursaring, the Hibernator Pokémon, and the evolved form of Teddiursa. Although it is a good climber, it prefers to snap trees with its forelegs and eat fallen berries."

"Why'd it have to come here of all places?" Patricia said.

"Do you know this Ursaring?"

"Yeah. I live a few miles from here and it always causes trouble for no apparent reason."

The Ursaring began to look around until it saw Quake near a rock. Without warning, it fired a Hyper Beam at her, which hit her and caused her to skid across the grass.

"Hey! Leave Quake alone!" Davin shouted.

The large bear started to come after her, but its path was blocked by Earth.

"Don! Don Donphan!" He said angrily. Ursaring came at him with Hammer Arm, but it missed as Earth used Rollout on it. Enraged, the Ursaring slashed Earth with Shadow Claw. The male Donphan didn't give up and he continued with his Rollout attack.

As he attacked, he didn't notice Quake staring at him with amazement; while the other Donphan ran, he was the only one that stayed.

After awhile, Earth grew tired and was hit by Shadow Claw without defending himself. Taking advantage of this, Ursaring launched a Hyper Beam towards the weakened Donphan.

"Earth, nooooo!" Patricia shouted.

Suddenly, to everyone's shock, Quake blocked the attack with her body.

"How could she have withstood that Hyper Beam?" Patricia asked.

"'When it comes to defense, she's the best!" Davin said.

Earth weakly began to look up and saw Quake defending him. He looked at her with shock and gratefulness.

"Now, Quake! Use Fire Fang!" Davin ordered. The Ursaring roared in pain as Quake burned its shoulder. It counterattacked with Hammer Arm.

"Dodge and use Rock Smash!" Avoiding the hit, she slammed it in the head with her glowing trunk.

"Finish it off with Rollout!" Curling herself into a ball, Quake impacted Ursaring in the center of its body. Seeing as the Donphan was too much for it, Ursaring fled.

"Wow, Davin! Your Donphan's excellently strong!"

"Thanks. It pays off from hard work and training."

Quake approached Earth and helped him to his feet.

"Don, Don?" She asked him.

"Don." He nodded in response.

Quake wrapped her trunk around Earth's and started to blush. Seeing this, Earth blushed as well and he smiled.

"Well, would you look that? Those two like each other." Davin said.

"I guess when Quake saw how strong Earth was, it started to see a different side of him." Patricia commented.

The two Donphan began to roll around each other happily, just as the other Donphan came out of hiding. At that moment, all of the Donphan began doing their love dances with their newly found mates.

* * *

Later, when the sun was setting, Davin had let out all of his Pokémon so that they could say goodbye to Quake.

"Well... looks like this is where we part." Davin said to her.

"Don..." She nodded sadly.

Davin gave her a hug. "Take care of yourself, 'kay?"

Bark, Aduro, Socius, Hearth, and Maximus individually said goodbye to their friend.

"Earth... remember to take good care of Quake." Patricia said. "I'm sure you two will be very happy together."

"Donphan." He nodded.

Right then, the new couple curled themselves into balls and rolled away into the distance.

"Goodbye, Quake!" Davin called. "I'll never forget you!"

"Bye, Earth! Be good!" Patricia called.

Pretty soon, the two Donphan were out of sight.

Davin later recalled his Pokémon, said farewell to Patricia, and went his way to Silex City, happy that his Donphan had found someone to love.


	48. Chapter 48 - Trouble's Familiar Face

Continuing on to Silex City, Davin had stopped at the Pokémon Center in Malopaco City to heal his Pokémon.

"Okay, Davin. You're Pokémon are all healed." Nurse Joy said.

"Thank you very much." He said as he gathered his Poké balls into his pocket and exited. As he walked through the town's pier to leave the city, Davin noticed something in the water. It was something large and had a red light flashing from it. "_That's odd. Wonder what it is?_" He thought.

Suddenly, the strange thing stopped and, in the next second, jetted off towards a large landmark. "Whoa!" He said as he gazed at it. "What is that?"

"That's the Water Pyramid." A man said from behind him. "It's Malopaco City's most ancient treasure. It's said to have been there for over thousands of years."

"Amazing." Davin whispered as his eyes were locked on the large, blue treasure. Right then, an explosion was heard and smoke started to come from the pyramid.

"What's going on?" The man asked in shock.

Suddenly, helicopters came out of nowhere and were headed straight for the pyramid. Davin gasped as he saw that the helicopters had a bronze 'H' on them. "Team Havoc!"

"Who's Team Havoc?" The man asked.

"No time to explain." Davin tossed one of his Poké balls in the air and Aduro appeared by his side. He jumped on to the ape Pokémon's back and said, "Aduro, get me to that large pyramid over there!"

"Infernape!" It nodded. It jumped into the air, over the bridge, and began to dash across the water at high speed.

"What incredible velocity..." The man said.

* * *

A little while later, they both made it and Davin snuck over to the right side of the pyramid. One of the helicopters landed and a man wearing a black coat with Team Havoc's signature symbol stepped out.

"Men!" He shouted as a bunch of grunts came out of the other helicopters. "Begin searching for the Azure flute!"

"Yes, sir!" They all said as they entered the pyramid.

"What is it with these guys and this Azure flute? What do they want with it?" Davin whispered to himself.

When the man re-entered the helicopter, Davin took the opprotunity and chased after the grunts with Aduro running behind him.

When he got in, he and Aduro hid behind a large rock as they watched the grunts. They began to use power drills and other various tools to dig around the pyramid.

Despite watching them, Davin also gazed around the pyramid. A bunch of strange symbols were on every inch of the walls as if they resembled something. "_What could they mean?_" He thought.

The man from before came walking in. He came to one of the walls and began to touch them with his palm. "Hmm..." He said. "It must be here somewhere."

"Oh, that's it!" Davin whispered in impatience. He jumped out of his hiding place and yelled, "Aduro, Flame Wheel!"

The grunts were hit by a dashing wheel of fire as the man turned around. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"That's not important! I want to know what you guys want with this Azure flute and I want to know now!"

The man scoffed. "Please. You'd think I'd tell a foolish child like you?"

Davin growled. "Fine! Then, I'll just have to force it out of you! Use Blaze Kick!" Aduro jumped and pointed its blazing foot at the man only to have him smile and jump out of the way, causing Aduro to slam into the wall and Davin to gasp.

"Don't just lay around, you imbeciles! Get him!" He yelled as they started to stand.

"Yes, sir!" They shouted. Poké balls went flying and Golbat appeared in a flash.

"Feels like Déjà vu." Davin said as Aduro recovered from its fall. "Use Brick Break!" Coming from behind, Aduro struck them and half of the Golbat fell to the ground by it as it went to its trainer's side.

"Golbat, Supersonic!" They shouted in unison. Loud screeches filled the air, making Davin hold his ears and Aduro sway in confusion. "Wing Attack!" One by one, Aduro was struck by a barrage of wings, eventually making it lose consciousness.

"Return, Aduro!" Davin said as it was recalled. "I'm not through yet!" He tossed out another Poké ball. "I choose you, Maximus!"

The giant snake Pokémon roared, making the Golbat shiver slightly.

"Maximus, use Flash Cannon!" The Golbat were hit by a silver beam of light, knocking them out instantly.

The grunts gasped. "Commander! Our Pokémon are down!" One of them said.

The man was facing towards the wall, feeling it with his palm like he was earlier, and grunted. "Can't you idiots do anything right? Report back to the helicopters!"

Wasting no time, they dashed off like rockets towards the exit.

"Speedy bunch, aren't they?" Davin said, looking back.

"Now then..." The man said, holding a Poké ball in his hand. "Those grunts were only a test. Now, let's see how you deal with Lynton, second in command of Team Havoc!"


	49. Chapter 49 - A Shadow Behind Havoc

"Go, Alakazam!" Lynton threw the Poké ball and a creature with a long mustache, holding two spoons, appeared from it; Davin checked it.

"Alakazam, the Psi Pokémon. Its senses are heightened when its eyes are closed, enabling it to use its abilities to their fullest."

"I'll teach you to mettle with Team Havoc! Alakazam, use Fire Punch!"

"Ala!" It muttered as it attacked with its fist ablaze.

"Maximus, use Sandstorm!" With a swing of its tail, a sandstorm brewed, but Alakazam burst through it and hit Maximus' body. "What? It wasn't affected?" Davin said in shock.

Lynton chuckled. "A Sandstorm as weak as yours can't hurt my Alakazam! Use Psychic!" It bent its two spoons as its eyes glowed light blue, causing Maximus to levitate and be thrown against the wall behind Davin.

"Maximus, are you okay?" It grunted as it got back up. "All right. Now use-" Davin gasped as he saw that he was alone. Lynton and Alakazam were nowhere to be seen. "They must've used Teleport. But to where?"

Suddenly, helicopters could be heard outside; Davin ran out to find them taking off. He saw Lynton hanging from a rope ladder with a strange object in his right hand. "Now that we've got the Azure flute, I have no further business with you." He said as the helicopters took off.

"No, you don't!" Davin angrily said. "Maximus, use your Iron Tail to send me on to one of those helicopters!"

It nodded and lifted Davin on to its tail. It launched him into the air and hit him with its glowing tail, resulting in him clinging to the end of one of the helicopters; Davin quickly recalled Maximus to its Poké ball before the helicopter fully ascended.

Back in the main helicopter, Lynton was on a radio saying, "Sir, we've retrieved the Azure flute!"

"Excellent." A voice said. "Head to Mt. Savior at once. I'll be waiting there."

"Yes, sir! Understood." He responded.

Meanwhile, outside the helicopter, Davin clutched on its tail for dear life. "I hope... this trip isn't _too _long." He said, fighting the wind as he said it.

* * *

An hour later, the helicopters landed at the entrance of a large mountain with several Team Havoc people already there. Lynton and the grunts stepped out of the helicopters and made their way to a tall man wearing a white coat with the Havoc symbol on the front. Davin peaked out to see a familiar woman standing next to the tall man.

"It's Roshell, the lady who I met the first time I heard of these guys." He said. "And that man... He's the same guy who I saw Roshell talking to from the helicopter."

Lynton handed the Azure flute to the man. "You've done well, Lynton." He said.

"Thank you, Abdon, sir." Lynton bowed.

Abdon turned to Roshell. "Unlike some others..."

Roshell scoffed. "He just got lucky."

Ignoring this, Abdon said, "Everyone! Stand guard out here so that no one may enter! Lynton, Roshell, and I will enter and retrieve Arceus."

"_Arceus?_" Davin thought. "_Who's that?_"

The trio entered the mountain while the others stood as they where, prepared for any intrusions.

"I've got to get inside. But how?" Davin thought for a moment and an idea struck him. He took out a Poké ball, opened it, and Maximus came out while crouching low to the ground. "Maximus, take me with you underground to find three people in that mountain over there." The Pokémon nodded. Davin got on to its back and Maximus burrowed underground, with the grunts completely clueless about them.


	50. Chapter 50 - The Ultimate Unleashed

Abdon, Roshell, and Lynton were stopped at a dead end inside the mountain.

"What now, sir?" Roshell turned to Abdon.

"Patience." He said. He pressed the Azure flute to his lips and blew into it, making a soft, heavenly-like tone come out. Right then, the wall began to glow a bright white; it split in two, causing them to spread apart and reveal a spiral staircase that lead all the way to the top of the mountain.

"Amazing..." Lynton commented.

"Come." Abdon said as he began to walk up the staircase. The two commanders followed.

A few minutes later as they reached the sixty-eighth step out of the one hundred and fifty, back at the first step, Davin and Maximus burst from the ground.

"Whoa! A staircase in a mountain?!" Davin exclaimed. "They must've already gotten ahead." He returned Maximus to its Poké ball and began following the trio.

A few more minutes later, the stairs had lead them to a glass-like platform that was on the outside of the mountain. Two pillars that were parallel to each other stood at the far end.

"Yes." Abdon whispered. "We're finally here. The Hall of Origin!"

"It's beautiful." Roshell said.

They walked to the two pillars just as Davin arrived, but he didn't make himself known.

Abdon held the Azure flute into the air. "Now, Arceus! I summon you!" He blew into the flute, causing another harmonious melod yto flutter out, only it was more louder than the last one. At that moment, the top of the two pillars began to generate spheres of light. One was white while the other was black. A spark linked both of them together and an earthquake shook the entire area.

"Is... this...?" Lynton stuttered.

"Yes!" Abdon shouted as his eyes grew wider and his smile grew bigger. "Arceus is coming!"

Dark clouds shrouded the sky as lightning flashed and thunder boomed.

"Wah! This is not normal!" Davin said, a bit terrified.

Then, in the sky, a light shined down between the pillars.

"YES! IT'S HERE!" Abdon shouted in joy.

A large creature descended from the sky. It's body color was white with a gray underside and it resembled a centaur in some way. It also had a golden cross-like wheel attatched to its abdomen.

"HA HA HA HA! ARCEUS! YOU'RE HERE!" Abdon yelled.

Davin stared in awe. "So, that's Arceus..." He took out his Pokédex.

"Arceus, the Alpha Pokémon. It is said that this Pokémon emerged from an egg in a place that was nothing, and shaped all there is in this universe."

Arceus levitated in front of Team Havoc.

"Arceus..." Lynton uttered.

"The Original One..." Roshell added.

"ARCEUS!" Abdon said. "IT IS TIME!" He held a Poké ball in his hand, but this wasn't an ordinary Poké ball. This one had a purple top instead of a red one with two pink spots and an 'M' on it. "WITH THIS MASTER BALL, I WILL CAPTURE YOU!"

"_Master Ball?! Capture?!_" Davin fearfully thought.

"GO! MASTER BALL!" Abdon lunged it at Arceus' forehead and it absorbed it inside. It landed on the ground and shook, but after the third try, the ball remained still. "HA HA!" He laughed as he picked it up. "ARCEUS IS MINE!"

Davin growled and revealed himself by shouting, "Team Havoc!"

All three turned around. "You again?!" Roshell and Lynton said in unison.

"You know this boy?" Abdon asked.

"This is the annoying brat I told you about before." Roshell said.

Abdon smiled evilly. "Well then... LET'S TEACH HIM A LESSON!" He threw the Master Ball and the large Pokémon emerged from it.

"ALL WHO OPPOSE THE RULER OF THE UNIVERSE... SHALL PAAAAAAAYYYYYY!"


	51. Chapter 51 - Arceus Realizes

Davin sneered. "You? Ruler of the universe? Ha! Don't make me laugh!"

"IDIOT! ARCEUS, USE JUDGEMENT!" The golden wheel on Arceus' body glowed and an orange orb of energy formed on its forehead. Orange streaks followed the orb as it was launched into the sky and it exploded, releasing a pink meteor shower. Davin tried to avoid them, but he almost got hit and barely made it out with no scratch.

"Arceus! Don't listen to this man! He does not control you!" Davin shouted.

"HA HA HA HA! ARCEUS IS UNDER MY CONTROL! HE WON'T LISTEN TO ANYONE BUT ME!"

Roshell whispered to Lynton, "Abdon isn't acting like his usual self. What's going on?"

"What does it matter?" He snapped. "What's important is that we have the power of the universe!"

"We?" Abdon eavesdropped. "YOU FOOLS! NOW THAT I HAVE ARCEUS, I HAVE NO USE FOR YOU TWO!"

"What?" Lynton gasped.

"Sir, you can't do that!" Roshell protested.

"WATCH ME! ARCEUS, USE HYPER BEAM!" Arceus turned towards the commanders and fired a beam at them, which they narrowly avoided.

"Sir... why?" Roshell uttered.

"I NEVER CARED ABOUT YOU TWO! ALL I WANTED WAS ARCEUS' POWER! NOW I'M RULER OF THIS UNIVERSE!"

"You jerk!" Davin said. "There's no way you're getting away with this!" He threw all of his Poké balls into the air and every single one of his Pokémon appeared.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP ME? GO AHEAD! I DARE YOU!"

"It'll be my pleasure! Bark, use Solar Beam! Aduro, use Close Combat! Socius, use Sky Uppercut! Hearth, use Iron Tail! And Maximus, use Flash Cannon!" All five of the Pokémon's attacks hit at once, but Arceus didn't flinch a bit.

"USELESS! ARCEUS, USE EARTH POWER!" The ground erupted from beneath Davin's Pokémon and they all took massive damage.

"Oh no!" Davin said.

"PATHETIC! A SORRY HUMAN LIKE YOU SHOULDN'T EVEN BE ON THIS EARTH! ARCEUS, DESTROY HIM!"

Arceus rose above Davin and was about to unleash a devastating power, but blue soundwaves and a purplish blade of energy struck him out of nowhere and made him collapse.

"WHAT?! WHAT IS THIS?!" Abdon demanded.

Davin looked up as two portals opened in the sky. From one came a dragon-like creature that had a diamond shaped head with dark and light blue patterns that spread throughout its body. From the other came another dragon-like creature, but this one was bipedal and had white, purple, and pink patterns on its body. They majestically landed on the ground in front of Davin as he looked them up.

"Dialga, the Temporal Pokémon." The Pokédex said about the blue one. "It controls the flow of time and it can use this power to travel through the past and future."

"Palkia, the Spatial Pokémon. Its total control over the boundaries of space enable it to transport itself to faraway places or even other dimensions."

"Whoa... Those two can do all that? " Davin thought.

"DIALGA! PALKIA! WHY DO YOU INTERFERE?!" Abdon demanded.

The two beings ignored him. A voice said, "Arceus, why do you obey such a cruel and heartless man?" Davin was shocked to see that the voice came from Dialga via telepathy.

"He... is... my... master..." Arceus spoke telepathically.

"No. He is not." Palkia spoke. "That infernal Poké ball has made you think he is. But in reality, he is a greedy villain who only seeks power."

"Liars...! You... speak... lies!..."

"Arceus, listen to your heart. You know what is the truth and what is false."

"No...! I..."

"Listen, Arceus... Listen..."

Arceus began to struggle. His mind couldn't grasp anything.

"DON'T LISTEN TO THEM, ARCEUS! THEY ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO YOU! DESTROY THEM!"

Arceus groaned. "I... I... I..."

Suddenly, Arceus screamed at the top of his lungs and a bright light enveloped the entire area, making everyone shield their eyes.

"What's happening?" Lynton shouted.

Soon, the light faded and everyone opened their eyes to see that the dark clouds had disappeared and the sun was shining brightly.

"No... impossible..." Abdon stuttered. The Master Ball was broken into pieces at his feet.

Arceus blinked. He saw Dialga and Palkia and realized what had been done; he roared softly to the two and they roared back, indicating that the telepathy was no longer needed. Then the three Pokémon turned to Davin and his fallen team; Arceus roared softly at the boy.

"You'r... You're welcome..." he spoke, as if he understood.

Arceus' eyes glowed and Davin and his Pokémon disappeared. Then, Arceus ascended into the sky while Dialga and Palkia returned to their respective dimensions.

"Amazing." Roshell and Lynton said. Suddenly, they found their hands cuffed together by police officers.

"You are under arrest, Team Havoc!" Officer Jenny said as she lead the three to the van at the bottom of the mountain.

* * *

Meanwhile, Davin found himself and his Pokemon in Malopaco City on the streets.

"Wow. That... was an amazing experience..." he smiled.


	52. Chapter 52 - An Electric Frenzy

After getting some good rest and healing, Davin continued on his way to Silex City in hopes of obtaining his 8th and final badge.

"That was crazy back there," he said. "But at least Arceus is safe and back where he belongs."

Right when he was thinking, something caught his eye: A large building which seemed to be a factory.

"Huh... Wonder what that could be?" He said. Davin walked to the entrance of the building and entered through the automatic doors. The place looked vacant and there were all sorts of machines everywhere he turned.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" he shouted. No answer. "Maybe whoever's in charge is out."

An electric blast suddenly struck in front of his feet, making him jump back and fall. "What the...?!" A number of Voltorb and Magneton gathered in front of him with angry looks on their faces. "Looks like I found the security team."

"Torb!" The Voltorb said as they used Thunder.

"Ton!" The Magneton shrieked as they used Thunderbolt.

Davin got out of the way and quickly grabbed one of his Poké balls. "Aduro, come out and use Flame Wheel!" Right as it appeared, the Infernape engulfed itself in flames and rolled towards the Electric Pokémon, knocking them over like bowling pins.

The Pokémon recovered quickly and were about to release another attack. "Get ready, Aduro." Davin warned.

"What is the meaning of this?!" A female voice shouted behind him. Davin turned around to see a woman in a military-like uniform. "Who are you and why are you here?"

"Uh... I'm Davin, a Pokémon trainer, and... I was curious about this building and wanted to check it out." He admitted.

"Well, currently, this building is off-limits! Didn't you read the sign?"

"What sign?"

She pointed outside to the left of the building, where a signpost read: '**This building is under construction. Do not enter!**'

Davin sweatdropped. "Whoops."

* * *

Awhile after, The woman introduced herself as Natalie and invited him to a nearby shed, where Electric Pokémon were raised for security. When they talked, Aduro, the Voltorb, and the Magneton were enjoying a meal (For Aduro: Pokémon food. For the Magneton and Voltorb: Electricty from the machines).

"So you're in production of a power plant?" Davin asked.

"That's right. You see, there's a town nearby that has absolutely no electricity at some point. So I've decided to run a power plant to keep the electricity going permanently."

"Cool. So you say you raise Electric type Pokémon in this shed?" He asked as he gazed around, noticing pens to keep the Pokémon in and electrical machines and objects.

Natalie nodded. "The Electric Pokémon I raise help me with the power plant to store electricity in various places to keep it running. Plus they make excellent security guards for intruders."

"I learned that the hard way." Davin muttered. "When's the factory going to be up and running?"

"It shouldn't be long. Probably in a few days." She said.

Suddenly, the glass windows were shattered by an electric blast.

"What's going on?" Davin said as he stood up.

"Oh, dear. Not again." Natalie ran outside, with Davin behind her, and saw what was causing this. A Magnemite was releasing Thunderbolts in a joyful manner.

"Magnemite, please stop! Why do we keep having to go through this?" She shouted to it.

The Magnemite ignored her and began spinning, making the Thunderbolt fire in every single direction. Davin and Natalie ducked to avoid them.

"What's up with this Magnemite? Why is it doing this?" Davin asked.

"I'll explain later. Right now, we have to calm it down."

"I know just the way." Davin tossed a Poké ball into the air and his Steelix was sent out. "Maximus, use Sandstorm to get rid of the electricity!" The Iron Snake Pokémon swung its tail to create a violent sandstorm that sent the electricty to the ground.

"Now use Iron Tail on Magnemite!" Right on the top of its head, Maximus hit it and it fainted.

Davin sighed. "Thanks, Maximus." He said as it was returned to its ball.

Natalie picked up Magnemite. "Let's get it inside. Quick!"


	53. Chapter 53 - Shocking The Enjoyable

Natalie placed Magnemite on to an electric pad and hooked two wires to the magnets on its sides.

"This should heal it in no time." She said as she pulled a switch. Electric currents started to come through the wires, causing Magnemite's body to absorb it.

"So why was this Magnemite going crazy with its Thunderbolt?" Davin asked.

Natalie sighed. "This Magnemite is a wild Pokémon. One day, it came here because it was attracted to the electricity that was produced and it started visiting often. Unfortunately, this Magnemite loves to release electric attacks whenever it can and it causes horrible accidents to happen because it does it so wildly."

"Wow. But why does it do that?"

"I'm not really sure," Natalie said. "But I'm guessing that it just loves electricity so much, that it just goes crazy with it."

Davin stood silent for a moment.

Right then, the machine powered down and the electric currents deceased. Magnemite opened its eye and blinked.

"Good. That electric treatment restored its health." Natalie said, relieved. She took the wires off of Magnemite and it levitated into the air. "How are you feeling, Magnemite?"

"Magnemite!" It said happily.

"Well, that's good to hear." Davin said as he approached it. "Hey, listen. I'm sorry I had my Steelix do that to you, but you were spreading your Thunderbolt so much, I had no choice."

Magnemite lowered its eyelid in sadness. "Mag."

Davin rubbed the back of its body. "Don't feel bad about it. You just have to learn to control yourself whenever you feel happy."

"Mite! Magnemite!" It said, cheering up.

Natalie looked at the broken glass and sighed. "We can't keep replacing these windows for much longer. We need that money in case something goes wrong with the power plant."

"Magnemite..." It said, getting depressed again.

Davin frowned at the sight of this. Suddenly, he had an idea. "Natalie! I've got the perfect solution!"

"What is it?" She asked.

"Why don't I take Magnemite with me? That way, your windows and the other things around here won't get broken anymore."

"Hmm... that's not a bad idea." she said.

Davin turned towards the Magnet Pokémon. "What do you say, Magnemite? Want to join me on the road?"

"Mag..." Magnemite stared at Davin with a doubtful look.

"What's the matter?" Suddenly, Magnemite took off towards the outside. "Hey! Where are you going?" Davin called as he ran after it.

When they were outside, Magnemite turned towards Davin and began moving its magnets with a determined look in its eye.

"What's up?" he asked.

"It looks like Magnemite wants to battle you. To see if you're strong enough to handle it." Natalie explained.

"Well, okay." Davin took a Poké ball from his pocket and threw it. "Go, Hearth!"

"Magmar!" The Fire Pokémon shouted.

"Use Fire Spin!" Davin commanded. Spiral flames shot out of Hearth's mouth and it surrounded Magnemite. "Now, Fire Punch!" Hearth ran towards Magnemite with its fist burning with fire. The Electric Pokémon fought back by releasing blue electricity that shocked Hearth.

"That's Magnemite's Discharge." Natalie stated.

Hearth stood up, still feeling shaken by the attack. Davin ordered, "Now use Lava Plume!" An explosion erupted from Hearth's body, causing Magnemite to suffer massive damage. Still having energy, Magnemite used Thunderbolt.

"Dodge it and use Fire Punch!" By jumping, Hearth avoided the attack and landed a hit on to Magnemite with its fiery fist. When Magnemite got back up, it suddenly burst into flames.

"Perfect! It has a burn status condition. Go! Poké ball!" The ball touched Magnemite and absorbed it inside. When the ball landed, it began to shake with its center button beeping red.

Davin clenched his fists together, hoping that it wouldn't come back out. Suddenly, the ball stood still.

"Alright!" He cheered as he ran and grabbed the Poké ball. "This Magnemite is all mine!"

"Congrats." Natalie said. "Now you have a new Pokémon and I won't have to worry about any more damages."

Davin nodded. "Okay. Come on out!" With a single toss, Magnemite appeared from its ball. "Well, Magnemite, you're officially a part of our team." he said. "And now that you are, I'm giving you the nickname, Zapter."

"Mag! Magnemite!" It rejoiced, liking the name.

Natalie walked up to Zapter. "Bye, Magnemite. I won't ever forget you."

"Magnemite." It nodded.

After saying goodbye, Davin took off again to Silex City, with a new Pokémon by his side.


	54. Chapter 54 - Better Than Anything

Davin was currently training in an open field that was a bit far from the power plant.

"All right, Zapter! Thunderbolt!"

"Magnemite!" It cried as it unleashed the attack; Socius swiftly dodged it.

"Now use Sonic Boom!" Zapter's magnets glowed white and by swinging them, they released a white shock wave.

Socius used Detect to avoid it and then damaged Magnemite with its Sky Uppercut.

"Zapter, are you alright?" Davin asked.

"Magnemite!" It shouted as it rose back up.

"You both are doing great, so keep it up. Socius, I want you to give your next attack everything you've got, 'kay?"

"Rio." Socius nodded. That moment, its body became enveloped in white light.

"Could it be...?" Davin gasped.

Socius began to grow taller and taller until the light deceased. It now looked bigger with light yellow fur on its torso and three spikes (two on the upper side of its wrists and one on its chest).

"Awesome! Socius, you're a Lucario now!" Davin cheered.

"Rah!" Socius grunted in its new deep voice. Davin looked it up in his Pokédex.

"Lucario, the Aura Pokémon, and the evolved form of Riolu. It can sense the aura of all living things and is capable of understanding human speech."

"Cool. Now, back to training. Zapter, use Discharge!" Blue electricity was unleashed, but Socius disappeared in a flash. "Whoa!"

Socius was high in the air and it fired a light blue energy orb from its hands.

"Dodge that Aura Sphere!" Davin commanded. Zapter was hit before it could even flinch, sending in into a tree.

"You okay?" Davin asked as he picked it up.

"Mite..." It spoke.

"Great." Davin nodded. He turned to Socius. "You were excellent, Socius. Thank you for helping us practice."

"Arr, Arr." It nodded.

Davin returned both of them to their Poké balls and headed for the town that was just up ahead.

* * *

"Okay, Davin. Your Pokémon are fully healed." The Pokémon Center's Nurse Joy said.

"Thank you." He nodded as he took them.

After he walked outside, Davin noticed two trainers arguing about something. One was a boy that wore a red shirt, green shorts, and had a blue cap on his head while the other was a girl that wore a white skirt with brown sandals.

"I'm telling you! My Pokémon is the stronger one!" The boy shouted.

"Oh, please! Your Pokémon can't compare to how strong mine is!" The girl replied.

"You know that's a lie!" The boy said.

"Maleah? Tivon?" Davin said.

The two trainers turned around and gasped in surprise. "Davin!"

"Hey! Long time, no see." he said. Davin had known Maleah and Tivon from grade school and they were best friends. When they graduated, they hadn't seen each other since.

A bit later, they decided to go to a nearby park and catch up on things.

"So, you two have become Pokémon trainers?" Davin asked.

Maleah nodded. "We've found Pokémon to be interesting, so we decided to travel the world and become the best we can be."

"Of course, _I'll_ exceed her at being best." Tivon bragged.

Maleah made an annoyed face and ignored him. "So you're a trainer as well?"

"Yep. My goal is to win the Varex League and become champion."

"Well, good luck because you're gonna need it to beat me." Tivon said.

"Oh, stop being such an arrogant idiot! Any trainer could beat you, including beginners." Maleah said.

"What'd you say?!"

"You heard me!"

Both scowled at each other in disgust.

Davin broke the tension by asking, "Say, what were you two fighting about back there?"

"Maleah didn't think that the Pokémon I recently caught was strong compared to the one she just caught."

"Well, it's true. Mine's obviously more superior at first glance."

Tivon scowled. "Yours wouldn't last a chance in a battle!"

"Funny. I was about to say the same!" She scowled back.

Davin sighed. "Just like old times. These two always argued about who's better at this or who has a better what."

Right then, an idea formed in his head. "Hey! How's about this? Why don't you two team up in a double battle against me?"

They looked at each other for a minute and both said, "Sounds good to me!"

* * *

Minutes later, the three trainers took their respective positions in the center of the park that was near the water fountain.

"You ready?" Davin asked.

"You bet!" They nodded.

Maleah was the first to send out her Pokémon. "I choose you, Spoink!" A Pokémon that had the face of a pig, a spring for feet, and a pink pearl on its head appeared.

Tivon was next. "Come on out, Skorupi!" A Pokémon that looked like a small, purple scorpion appeared.

"Not bad choices." Davin said as he checked them with his Pokédex.

"Spoink, the Bounce Pokémon. By bouncing around on its spring-like tail, it is able to keep its heart pumping."

"Skorupi, the Scorpion Pokémon. It can inject poison into its foe from its tail claws and is able to go an entire year without food."

Davin took out his Poké balls. "Zapter, Socius, I choose you!"

"Magnemite!" cried the Electric Pokémon.

"Cario!" The Lucario said.

"Wow! A great pair!" Maleah commented.

"Yeah, but let's see if they can take down my Skorupi!" Tivon said.

"That shouldn't take long." She mocked, making Tivon scowl at her.

"Zapter, use Thunderbolt on Spoink! Socius, use Aura Sphere on Skorupi!" The Magnemite fired a beam of electricity while the Lucario threw its blue sphere at the other pair.

"Spoink, use Light screen!" Maleah commanded. Its pearl glowed yellow and a golden box surrounded it and Skorupi, shielding them from the attacks.

"Great. Now all of our Special attacks are blocked." Davin groaned.

"Now it's our turn!" Tivon said as the box faded. "Skorupi, use Pin Missile!" The two claws on Skorupi's head glowed white and unleashed rapid needles, making Socius and Zapter flinch as they were hit.

"Socius, use Sky Uppercut on Skorupi!" It dashed towards the Pokémon with its fist glowing light blue.

"Use Psychic!" Maleah said. Spoink's body glowed light blue and Socius was lifted into the air and flung backwards.

"Now, Skorupi! Use Shadow Ball!" Tivon called. A black energy sphere appeared in its mouth and it was fired at the Magnemite.

"Zapter, charge in with Gyro Ball!" Its magnets glowed light blue and it spun rapidly, destroying the Shadow Ball in its path and striking Skorupi.

"Spoink, Zen Headbutt on Magnemite!"

"Socius, Copycat!"

Both the Pokémons' heads glowed in a blue aura and they came at each other. With Socius being faster, it rammed Spoink's body before the psychic Pokemon could do anything. "Follow with Sky Uppercut!"

"Skorupi, Toxic!" When Socius took off, Skorupi released a purple poison from its mouth that evaporated into gas. The Lucario stopped in its tracks and covered its mouth to avoid sucking it in. "Poison Fang!" Skorupi came through the gas and bit Socius' body, causing it to take damage. (A/N: I am aware that this is an error. Just keep reading.)

"Oh no." Davin said.

"Quick, Spoink! Use Psybeam!" Maleah said. A multi-colored beam shot from its pearl and Socius was hit, causing it to lose consciousness.

"Socius, no!"

"Nice work." Tivon said to Maleah. "Your Spoink's impressive."

"Skorupi isn't so bad either." She admitted.

After returning Socius to its Poké ball, Davin got his head back into battle. "Two against one... Zapter should be okay since its part steel type, but I better be careful."

"Skorupi, use Toxic!"

"Not this time! Zapter, levitate to the air!" As the poison hit the ground, Zapter ascended higher, getting itself away from the gasses.

"Bring it down with Psychic, Spoink!" Maleah shouted. Zapter was immediately forced down, but when it breathed in the gas, it felt nothing.

"What? But it should be poisoned." Tivon panicked.

"Oh, I forgot." Davin said. "Toxic doesn't work on Steel type Pokémon."

"Way to go, genius!" Maleah said.

"Oh, shut it!" He yelled back. Right then, the golden box that was there before faded in and shattered.

"Finally, Light Screen has worn off! Now, Zapter, use Discharge!" Both of the opponents' Pokémon were hit with a blast of blue electricity.

"Spoink, use Light Screen!"

"No way! Sonic boom!"

Spoink suffered a direct hit from the white shock wave before it could move and it passed out. "No!" cried Maleah.

"Use Shadow Ball!" Tivon said.

"Thunderbolt, now!" The black sphere was destroyed on contact and the Poison/Bug type was struck.

"Zapter, wrap this up with a Gyro Ball!"

"Skorupi, counter with Pin Missile!" The needles were launched, but they repelled off Zapter as if they were nothing and Skorupi was hit by its gyrating body, causing it to be knocked out.

"Alright! We won!" Davin cheered.

Maleah picked up her Spoink. "Are you alright?"

"Spoink." The Pokémon nodded.

"What about you, Skorupi?" Tivon asked.

"Sko..." It said.

"You two put a good battle." Davin said as he came to them. "If you're still debating on who's is stronger, I'd say both of you are tied."

Both trainers stood up. "Yeah. I have to agree." Maleah said. "I didn't know how skillfully Skorupi could use its moves, so I guessed I judged it without seeing any proof."

"Same with Spoink. It really came through when it looked like we were in a pinch." Tivon said.

Davin smiled. "Well, that's good to hear." He turned to his Magnemite. "Zapter, you were awesome! You were pretty good for your first win."

"Magne, Magnemite!" It said, happily.

* * *

Three hours later at the town's exit, Davin asked, "So where are you two headed?"

"We're gonna head to Hilvea Town." Tivon said. "We heard that a lot of strong trainers gather there to battle, so we want to test our skills against them."

Maleah nodded. "And Davin... good luck at the Silex gym. We'll be cheering for you."

"Thanks." He nodded.

Waving goodbye, the trainers took their seperate roads to their next destinations.


	55. Chapter 55 - Meet To Compete

"Houndoom, use Flamethrower!"

"Bark, use X-Scissor!"

As the Dark Pokémon's fire attack was shot, Bark crossed his arms in an 'X' like fashion, blocking him from the attack.

"Now, use Quick Attack!" The Houndoom was quickly hit by his speed attack, making it slide backwards across the dirt. "Finish it with Solar Beam!" Bark launched the powerful, white beam and Houndoom fainted after impact.

"Yeah!" Davin cheered. "Great job, Bark!"

"Sceptile." He nodded.

The trainer returned his Houndoom to its Poké ball and walked towards Davin. "That was a great battle. Your Sceptile's really strong."

"So was your Houndoom." Davin said.

"You know, you might be good enough to win the competition that's coming up." The trainer said.

"What competition?"

He pointed to the north. "If you keep going, there's a town just up ahead. A battle tournament will take place there and if you win, you get a mystery prize."

"Wow! Sounds cool!" Davin turned to his Pokémon. "What do you say, Bark? Should we enter?"

"Scep, Scep." He nodded.

"Then it's settled!" He put Bark back in its ball and ran straight towards the town.

"Good luck!" The trainer called after him.

When Davin reached the town, he gasped in awe as he gazed upon a giant stadium with a red roof cover and blue building panels. In front of the entrance, there was a woman sitting at a table with stacked papers.

"Excuse me." he said to her. "Is this where I register for the competition?"

She nodded. "Yes. Just fill out these forms and you'll be officially registered."

Davin took the forms and wrote in basic information, such as name, age, hometown, etc.

"The competition begins at 8:00 tomorrow. If you're late, you will be disqualified." she explained.

"Thank you." He said as he headed towards the Pokémon Center.

That night, after renting a room, Davin set his Pokégear alarm to 6:00 a.m.

"I might as well get some training done before I compete, so I'll get up extra early." he said.

Putting his Pokégear close to his ear, Davin closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Davin woke up with his alarm going off. He sleepily looked at the time and screamed. "7:59! Oh no!" He quickly put on his clothes, trying not to rush too fast, and dashed off to the stadium just as the announcer spoke.

"Welcome, all, to Sunveil Town's Pokémon Clash Competition! Lots of trainers have signed up to participate in this lovely event and after numerous battles, a winner will be crowned and receive a mystery prize!"

As the announcer went on, Davin got into the trainer's waiting room and breathed heavily. "I... made it..." He said with the other contestants staring at him oddly.

"Here are the rules of battle: The qualifying rounds will consist of one-on-one battles, the semifinals will be two-on-two, and the final round will be three-on-three. With that being said, let's start!"

* * *

After the first six battles, Davin's face appeared on screen alongside a girl's.

"For the seventh battle, it'll be Davin vs. Monica!" The announcer said.

Both trainers stepped on to the battlefield and glared at each other.

"Just for the record, I don't plan on losing." Monica said.

"That goes double for me." Davin said.

The judge raised his flags. "This match will now begin!"

Monica took a Poké ball from the side pocket of her jacket and threw it. "Go, Absol!"

"Absol!" The Pokémon growled.

"An Absol..." Davin checked it with his Pokédex.

"Absol, the Disaster Pokémon. It has the ability to sense natural disasters and has a life span over one hundred years."

"Interesting..." Davin thought. He threw his Poké ball on to the field. "I choose you, Socius!"

"Rio!" It said as it appeared.

"And it's Monica's Absol against Davin's Lucario!" The announcer said.

"Don't get smug just because you have a type advantage." she said. "Absol, use Aerial Ace!" Absol ran at Socius with its body being engulfed in white streaks of light and it slammed straight into it.

"Absol hits Lucario with an Aerial Ace! Since Lucario's a Fighting type, it's super effective!" (A/N: At the time I was writing this, the fact that Lucario was also a Steel-type kept passing my mind, so try to ignore these small errors)

"Not bad." Davin said. "Socius, use Aura Sphere!"

As the blue sphere was thrown, Monica ordered, "Detect!", and Absol jumped out of the way of Socius' attack. "Now use Psycho Cut!" The sickle-shaped growth on the side of its head glowed pink and Absol ran toward its opponent.

"Use _your_ Detect to dodge it!" Leaping into the air, the Aura Pokémon evaded it the sickle.

"I don't think so! Razor Wind!" Absol turned its head and swung it, releasing a white crescent blade of energy that hit Socius and made it fall.

"And Absol makes a quick comeback with Razor Wind!"

"It's not over yet! Use Sky Uppercut!" Socius regained its stamina and ran towards Absol.

"Psycho Cut, now!" Absol did the same and both moves collided. The announcer said, "Both Pokémon's moves hit! Which one will gain the upper hand?"

Socius and Absol struggled to push each other, until Davin said, "Socius, use Aura Sphere with your other hand!" The blue sphere formed in its left hand and Absol was hit, followed by a Sky Uppercut, and it slid across the field.

Monica grunted. "Clever. But you're still going to lose! Absol, Aerial Ace!"

"If that's your plan, we'll take it head-on! Socius, use Copycat!"

Streaks of light engulfed both their bodies as they ran at each other. The announcer commented, "Wow! Both Pokémon are using Aerial Ace! What result will happen after the hit?"

They came at one another so fast, they created an explosion when they collided, making the two Pokémon unseeable. The announcer said, "An explosion has occurred But which one's attack was more stronger?"

When the smoke deceased, Socius was seen standing over a fainted Absol. The judge raised his left flag, "Absol is unable to battle! Lucario wins! The victor of this battle is Davin!"

The crowd cheered as they heard this. The announcer said, "And with that, Davin moves on to the next round!"

* * *

A few hours later, after Davin advanced through the semi-finals with Bark and Maximus, the finalists were chosen.

"Here we are at the final round!" The announcer boomed. "It's Davin from Blazehill Town vs. Kai of Lavender Town! Whoever wins will receive the special mystery prize!"

The crowd cheered as both trainers took their positions.

"I've seen you battle." Kai said. "You're not bad, but you're nothing compared to me."

Davin scoffed. "Like I haven't dealt with guys like you before. You talk tough, but your Pokémon can't back it up!"

Kai sneered as the judge raised his flags. "Let the three-on-three final round battle... begin!"

Davin was the first to choose. "Let's go, Aduro!" The ape Pokémon grunted as it appeared.

Kai threw his Pokéball. "Go, Empoleon!"

"Empol!" The big penguin Pokémon cried. Davin scanned it on his Pokédex.

"Empoleon, the Emperor Pokémon. The three horns that extend from its beak attest to its power. When its pride is threatened, it will attack with its powerful wings."

Davin grinned. "You think just because Empoleon's a Water Pokémon, that it can beat my Infernape. But you're forgetting that it's also a Steel type, meaning that _our_ attacks will be super effective, too."

"Who said I forgot?" Kai grinned. "Empoleon, use Aqua Jet!" It surrounded itself in water and shot towards Aduro like a rocket.

"Block it!" Davin commanded. Aduro crossed its arms as Empoleon pushed against it, but the Water Pokémon overpowered it and landed a direct hit.

"Infernape's attempt to stop Aqua Jet failed!" said the announcer. Aduro got back to its feet.

"Use Blaze Kick!" With a single jump, Aduro did a turn as its foot began to catch fire.

Kai smiled as he commanded, "Hydro Pump, go!" A huge blast of water from Empoleon's mouth came at the Infernape, but it evaded with a flip and landed a hit to Empoleon's right cheek.

"An impressive counterattack!" The announcer said.

"Metal Claw!" Empoleon's wings glowed as it flew at its opponent.

"Use Close Combat!" Aduro ran at it and both collided, causing a huge cloud of dust to pick up around the battlefield. When it cleared, both Pokémon were lying on the ground.

The judge raised both flags. "Both Pokémon are unable to battle! This match is a draw!"

As the trainers returned their Pokémon, the announcer said, "Whoa! A double knockout! You don't see those very often!"

Davin threw his second Poké ball. "Zapter, you're up!"

"Magnemite." The Magnet Pokémon said as it appeared.

"Let's go, Dustox!" Kai threw his second ball and a moth with a pink body and green wings came out.

"So, _that's_ a Dustox..." Davin said as he looked it up.

"Dustox, the Poison Moth Pokémon, and the evolved form of Cascoon. Being nocturnal, it is drawn to moonlight and it eat leaves off tree lining boulevards."

"_The match could go either way with this one._" Davin thought. "Zapter, use Discharge!" As the blue electricity was released, Dustox evaded it by flying upward.

"Silver Wind!" It flapped its wings rapidly, releasing a wind with silver crescents in it.

"Get out its way!" Zapter escaped the first two times, but it was hit the third time, causing the announcer to say, "And Magnemite gets hit!"

"Zapter, Sonic Boom!"

"Double Team! Now!" Zapter's attack passed through Dustox as it became multiple copies.

"Spin and use Thunderbolt to get rid of them!" Blasts of electricity were scattered and all of the clones faded. Dustox suddenly slammed into Zapter from its right.

"Dustox launches a sneak attack on Magnemite! What a shocker!"

"Come on, Zapter! You've got to have more power than that!" Davin said.

"Giga Drain!" Kai ordered. Dustox's wings glowed green and energy beams shot from them, constricting Zapter, and its energy began to disappear.

"Magnemite's power is being drained! How will it escape?"

Davin grinned. "Perfect. Zapter, Discharge!" Releasing its move, the electricity was sent through the beams and on to Dustox.

"Dustox has finally received damage! Good for Magnemite!"

"Follow with Gyro Ball!" Zapter rammed Dustox to the ground with its turning body.

"Dustox, get up!" Kai called.

"Dus... Dus..." It said, trying to get up, but it fell back down.

"Dustox is unable to battle!" The judge held up his left flag. "Magnemite wins!"

"And Magnemite takes the win!" Boomed the announcer.

"Good job, Zapter! I knew you wouldn't let me down!" Davin said.

"Mite! Magnemite!" It said happily.

"Now Kai only has one Pokémon left." The announcer said as Kai returned his Dustox. "Will it be enough to take down Magnemite and Davin's next Pokémon?"

Kai took a Poké ball from his pocket. "Just you watch." He threw it as he yelled, "Probopass, come out!" A large rock Pokémon appeared and Davin checked his Pokédex.

"Probopass, the Compass Pokémon, and the evolved form of Nosepass. It controls three units called Mini-Noses using magnetic force, allowing it to attack its opponents from three different directions."

"Probopass, use Earthquake!" It slammed into the ground, causing shock waves to spread across the field, hitting Zapter and instantly making it faint.

"Magnemite is unable to battle!" The judge raised his right flag. "Probopass wins!"

"And with a one hit knockout, Magnemite is taken down!" The announcer boomed as Davin recalled it.

"Thanks, Zapter. Take a good rest." He said to it in its ball.

Davin took out his last ball. "This ends now! Bark, I choose you!" The large gecko Pokémon appeared, ready to fight.

"Your dreaming if you think you can win!" Kai said. "Probopass, Thunder Wave!" Probopass' nose glowed light blue and bolts of electricity hit Bark, paralyzing him.

"Sceptile gets off with a bad start from Thunder Wave!"

"Bark, use Solar Beam!" He began to charge energy, but Kai called out, "Sandstorm!", making Probopass release one from its body and Bark cancel his attack.

"X-Scissor, now!" The leaves on its arms glowed light blue and by crossing them, Bark released an 'X' shaped energy ray that hit Probopass.

"Probopass is hit! But it looks like it wasn't damaged that much."

"Earthquake!" The shock waves sent Bark across the field and it struggled to get up due to its paralysis.

"Sceptile's in a real bind! If it doesn't find a way to fight, it's all over for Davin!"

"_This is not good. As long as that paralysis is there, we can't get close enough to use our Physical attacks._" Davin thought. "_Solar Beam is the only one of Bark's attacks that's non-physical and it takes time to charge up._" He placed his hand on his forehead. "_Why did I have to oversleep? If I hadn't, we could've trained for this._"

Bark noticed his trainer's reaction to what was happening and stared at him with fixated eyes.

"I'm getting bored. Let's finish this, Probopass, with Hyper Beam!" Kai said. Its nose began to glow as an orange sphere formed in front of it.

"Here comes Hyper Beam, folks! Looks like this could be the end for Sceptile!"

Davin took his hand off his face. "It's over..."

Bark still had his eyes on him. Probopass continued to charge and just when it was about to fire, Bark's tail glowed light green as a green sphere formed in his hands.

"Wait. Isn't that...?" Davin said. Bark threw the sphere at Probopass and it exploded on impact.

"Whoa! Probopass was hit before it could launch its attack!"

Kai gasped. "No way!"

"Wow, Bark! You learned how to use Energy Ball!" Davin said, excited.

"Sceptile." He said.

"That was just luck! Probopass, try again!"

"Bark, use Energy Ball once more!"

Another explosion occurred on impact. "Twice in a row! This match is starting to turn around."

Kai grunted. "Use Earthquake!"

"Quick! Fire an Energy Ball at the wall behind it!" The sphere went past Kai and it came right back as it bounced off the tip of the wall, causing it to explode behind Probopass and sent the Pokémon flying towards Bark.

"Yeah! Now use Solar Beam at close range!"

"Oh no!" Kai yelled.

Bark quickly absorbed the sun's rays and Probopass was exposed to its power. "A full direct hit! Probopass is _seriously_ taking damage!"

"No! Probopass!" Kai screamed as the Compass Pokémon fainted.

"Probopass is unable to battle!" The judge raised his left flag. "Sceptile wins! The victor is Davin of Blazehill Town!"

The crowd cheered loudly when they heard this. "Well, there you have it, folks!" The announcer boomed. "Davin wins the competition!"

"All right!" Davin rejoiced. He ran to his Pokémon and helped get him to his feet. "Bark, you did great." Davin frowned. "Listen, I'm sorry if it looked like I was giving up on you. I just get carried away with my sorrow sometimes, you know?"

"Sceptile." he nodded in understandment.

* * *

Later that day, Davin stood on a platform with the announcer. "Congratulations, Davin." He said. "For winning the Sunveil Clash Competition, I hereby present to you... the mystery prize!"

Everyone clapped for Davin as he waved to the them. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

He stared at the mystery prize. It was a black square box with a pink ribbon on it. "Well? Go ahead. Open it." The announcer said.

Davin took the lid off to find a red cube with a gray template and a flame socket.

"It's a Magmarizer!" The announcer shouted to the entire audience. They all cheered loudly and clapped.

"A Magmarizer? Looks pretty cool." Davin smiled.


	56. Chapter 56 - Two Times A Battle

"What?! This Magmarizer can make Hearth evolve?!" Davin said in shock to Professor Cypress. It was the next morning and he had been curious about the item and called her to find out more information.

She nodded. "If Hearth is holding the Magmarizer when its being traded, it'll evolve into a Magmortar."

Davin stared at the Magmarizer in his hand. "So... I would have to trade Hearth to another trainer in order for it to work? How will that work for me if the other trainer's gonna get him?"

"It doesn't just have to be with trainers. Any kind of transfer from one place to another will enable it to work." She explained.

"I see..." Davin thought for a moment. "So if I were to send Hearth to you and you sent it back, it would evolve?"

"That's right."

Davin stood silent while thinking in his head. "_If I evolve Hearth now, I could train him to become stronger than he is now. However, would it be smarter to wait until the Varex league to evolve him? I wonder..._" After pondering, he took out a Poké ball, opened it, and Hearth appeared in front of him. "Hey, Hearth. See this item?" Davin showed it to him. "This will make you evolve to your next form. Do you want to right now or do you want to wait a little while?"

Hearth stared at the item while thinking. After a while he nodded his head and replied, "Mar!"

Davin smiled. "Well, if that's what you want..." He gave Hearth the Magmarizer and returned him to his ball. Looking toward the professor, he said, "I'm ready to transfer!"

"Okay. You know what to do." He placed the Poké ball on the transporter by the video phone and the ball instantly disappeared as an electrical static enveloped it. Soon, at the professor's lab, the ball appeared from her transporter. Prof. Cypress held the Poké ball to the screen. "It's here. Now, I'll send it back." The process repeated and Davin received Hearth's Poké ball again.

"Thanks, Professor. I'll talk to you later." They both hung up the phone and Davin looked at the Poké ball. "Okay, Hearth! Come on out!"

When the Fire Pokémon appeared, nothing had changed as it was still holding the Magmarizer.

Davin put his hand behind his head. "I don't get it. It should've worked."

"Magmar." Hearth said as he looked at the item in his hands.

"I'm sorry, pal. Maybe if we try again another time, it'll work." Davin said.

Still staring at the item, Hearth and the Magmarizer suddenly started to glow together. Davin gasped before he said, "It _did_ work after all!"

Hearth began to increase in size and the light faded, revealing a new and better form of Magmar. Flames burned from his shoulders and new claws were obtained.

"Awesome!" Davin looked up the Pokémon in his Pokédex.

"Magmortar, the Blast Pokémon, and the evolved form of Magmar. It can blast fireballs of over 3,600 degrees from the ends of its arms and it has the ability to retract its claws into its skin to form a cannon."

"A cannon? Cool! Hearth, see if you can do it." Davin said, excitedly. Raising its left hand into the air, Hearth's claws disappeared and a cannon shot out as a replacement.

"Wow! And to think I was so skeptical about your evolution. This'll be great!"

"Magmor!" Hearth agreed.

"All right. Let's get moving." Davin returned Hearth to his ball and exited the Pokémon center of Sunveil Town.

* * *

Now on the road, Davin continued on. "Things are looking up for me! Boy, am I fired up!"

Suddenly, a girl jumped out from the bushes and pointed her finger at him. "Are you a Pokémon trainer?"

"Yeah." Davin said, a bit freaked out. But then he noticed something. "Say, haven't we met before?"

She walked closer to him and studied him closely. "Oh, yeah. You're the guy I battled in a double battle that had a Monferno and Grovyle."

Davin nodded. "Clara, wasn't it?"

"That's right. So, have you gotten better in double battles lately?"

"Well, a little bit. I've even come up with a combination move with my Magmar and Vibrava against one of my rivals."

Clara smiled. "Interesting. Care to show me it?"

"Well, I would, but my Vibrava is in storage at the moment, so I can't." he said.

"I see..." She said. "Well, let's have another double battle! I'm eager to see how strong you've gotten!"

"Same here."

Clara pointed to the north. "There's a clearing up ahead. We'll battle there." She took off like a bullet towards the location.

"_Whoa! She really gets her exercise._" Davin thought.

At the clearing, after Davin had caught his breath from running so far, both trainers were ready.

Clara let out her two Pokémon. "All right, Scizor and Lombre! Let's go!"

"Scizor!" The tall red Pokémon said.

"Lom, Lombre!" The duck-like Pokémon said.

"What an unlikely pair." Davin said as he looked them up.

"Scizor, the Pincer Pokémon. It uses its eye patterned pincers to intimidate opponents as if it has three heads. By flapping its wings rapidly, it can adjust its body temperature."

"Lombre, the Jolly Pokémon. It tugs on fishermen's fishing line to interfere because of its mischievous spirit. At nightfall, it feeds on aquatic mosses that grow in riverbeds."

Davin thought for a moment. "Okay. Scizor's a Steel/Bug type, making Aduro or Hearth the perfect choice. As for Lombre, it's a Grass/Water type, so maybe Zapter or Bark might due."

With a nod, he took out his Poké balls and threw them. "Hearth and Bark! I choose you!" Magmortar and Sceptile appeared in flashes of white light, ready to go.

"Grass and Fire again? Is there some kind of strategy you have with those specific types?"

"Nope. I'm choosing according to the type of Pokémon _you _use."

Clara chuckled. "Well, let's see where that gets you. Lombre, use Bubble Beam on Magmortar!" The Pokémon jumped into the air and rapidly fired a light ray of bubbles from its mouth.

"Hearth, use Fire Spin!" The newly evolved Pokémon traded his claws for a cannon and released the swirling fire attack from it. Smoke scattered from the collision and Lombre fired another Bubble Beam through it, landing a direct hit to Hearth.

"It's always about using strategy in battles." Clara said.

"Tell me something I don't know! Bark, use Energy Ball on Scizor, now!" The Sceptile formed the energy sphere in his hands and it launched towards the foe.

"Scizor, Metal Claw!" It quickly flew at Bark, even with the Energy Ball hitting it straight in the face, and knocked him to the side with its glowing pincers.

"Bark, jump high into the air! Hearth, use Lava Plume!" They both obeyed their trainer, with Bark ascending to the air and Hearth releasing an explosion through his cannon.

"Scizor, take Lombre and fly into the air!" The Water/Grass Pokémon was swiftly in Scizor's hold and both took to the sky as the Lava Plume missed them. "Now, Lombre, use Ice Beam!" A light blue ray fired from its mouth and Bark fell with part of his body frozen when he was hit.

Davin grunted. "This girl is tricky. Sometimes, I can't predict what she'll do next."

As Scizor and Lombre came back down, Clara said, "All right, boys, it's time to use Aerial Ice!"

"Aerial Ice?" Davin said, confused.

Scizor flew forward using Aerial Ace at high speed. Lombre fired his Ice Beam around the streaks of light around Scizor's body.

"Do it!"

"Sciiiiiiii... ZOR!" Scizor spread its arms out, causing a light to flash for a second, and he was suddenly encased in ice while using Aerial Ace and was still moving forward.

"Amazing!" Davin gasped. Bark and Hearth were surprised as well.

"Like it?" Clara said. "It's one of our newest combinations."

Davin grunted. "It may be astounding, but it won't stop _us_! Melt the ice with Fire Spin!" Hearth's cannon fired the move, but Scizor did a spin and circled around it. Both of Davin's Pokémon were knocked into the air as Scizor zoomed through and both fell hard on the ground.

Davin started to get frustrated. "This is crazy! _I_ can't land a single hit, but _she_ can whenever she wants to. What am I gonna do?"

"Lombre, use Drain Punch on Sceptile! Scizor, use Hyper Beam on Magmortar!" Lombre's fist became surrounded by a green energy with yellow streaks spiraling around it while Scizor put his two claws together and fired a large, orange beam.

"_There's got to be a way to counterattack._" Davin thought. "_But how?_"

The attacks came closer as Bark and Hearth tried to get up while Davin was racking his brain to come up with a plan. When the attacks were inches away, it hit him.

"Bark, use Quick Attack to get behind Scizor! Hearth, block that Hyper Beam!"

Bark zipped past Lombre at lightning speed while Hearth shielded himself by putting his arms together while being pushed back.

When Bark slid behind Scizor, Davin cried, "X-Scissor! Go!" and Scizor was hit from behind by Bark's crossed blades. Davin turned to Hearth and said, "Follow that up with Lava Plume!" As Scizor was flying forward, Hearth fired the explosion and the Bug Pokémon was blown away by the flames.

Unfortunately, Scizor collided into Bark and both were caught into the attack, along with Lombre. When things were seeable, Scizor was seen fainted along with Bark, whom it was on top of. Lombre, though, was still okay and stood to his feet.

"Oh no!" Clara cried. "This can't be!"

Davin nodded in satisfaction. Both trainers returned their fainted Pokémon. "I may have lost Bark in the process of planning, but at least one of her Pokémon are out. Now we just have to deal with Lombre."

Clara grinned. "No matter. Even without the aid of a second Pokémon, Lombre can still do its best. Hydro Pump, let's go!"

"It's the same for us. Lava Plume!" The Hydro Pump easily passed through Lava Plume and Hearth was knocked into a tree.

"That was a bad move on your part." she commented.

Davin ignored her. "Use Fire Punch!" Hearth got himself back together and came toward Lombre with a burning fist.

"Lombre, Bubble Beam!" The bubbles exploded on contact with Hearth's body, stopping him in his tracks. "Now, use Drain Punch!" A solid blow was landed on Hearth's body, but he still stood strong.

Clara scoffed. "You may have beaten Scizor, but I still see the same boy who lost to my Marowak and Skiploom." Davin growled a bit, but right then, he gasped as Clara's Lombre burst into flames. "What?!" she gasped.

"Yes! That's Hearth's ability, Flame Body!" Davin said. When the flames disappeared, Lombre was on his hands and knees. "Now, to take advantage of this! Use Lava Plume!" Unlike last time, Lombre was blown away by Lava Plume's power.

"Lombre!" Clara shouted.

"Iron Tail, let's go!" Hearth's tail, made entirely of fire, glowed and it hit Lombre in the face, knocking it to the ground.

Lombre could still stand, which made Clara say, "It's not over yet! Lombre, use Hydro Pump!"

"Block with Iron Tail, then go in for a Fire Punch!" The water was reflected by Hearth's tail and Lombre was punched hard by his fist.

"No, Lombre!" Clara screamed. The Water/Grass Pokémon plummeted to the ground, making it lose consciousness.

"Ha ha! Yes! We did it!" Davin cheered. "Hearth, you were awesome!"

He turned to his trainer and responded, "Tar!" with a nod.

Clara picked up Lombre in her arms. "Lombre, are you okay?"

"Lombre..." He said, weakly.

"Take a nice long rest. You've earned it." Lombre was returned to his ball.

Davin walked up to her. "That was an awesome battle, Clara. You're amazing."

"Thanks, Davin. So are you." She smiled.

"You know, you're excellent with moves that show off your Pokémon's beauty and strength. Have you considered becoming a Pokémon Coordinator?"

Clara frowned. "Mmm... I'm not interested in contests. I mean, it's not bad, but I just prefer being a trainer. That's why I'm aiming towards the Varex League."

"_You're_ planning on entering entering the Varex league?!" Davin almost shouted.

Clara nodded. "I feel it's a great way of improving myself and my Pokémon."

"Well, I'm entering too. Maybe that's when we can face each other again."

She smiled. "I'd like that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go off for more training!" She sped down the road at high speed, leaving dust behind her.

Davin chuckled. "Looks like I have another rival." He turned to his Magmortar. "Hearth, let's you and I do some training, too. After all, you could be facing Lombre or Scizor again, so we have to be ready to take them out."

"Mortar." He nodded.

Both Davin and Hearth watched the sun as it set on a perfect day.


	57. Chapter 57 - Vs Rena I

Nurse Joy came to the front desk and handed Davin his Poké balls. "I'm happy to tell you that all of your Pokémon are healed." She said.

"Thank you very much." Davin nodded as he took them and put them in his pockets.

When he exited from the Pokémon Center, he took a deep breath and exhaled. "All right! Watch out, Silex Gym Leader, because here I come!"

That's right. Davin has finally arrived in Silex City and he was full of energy as he bolted towards the gym.

When he got there, he saw that the gym was large with a brown covering, silver panels, and a Poké ball in the center. Davin smiled as he said to himself, "The moment... It's finally here!"

As he went through the automatic doors, he saw that the entire battlefield was made entirely out of rocks and boulders.

"Cool. Judging by the field, the gym leader must use Rock Pokémon." Davin said.

"Aren't you a smart one..." A female voice said. Davin saw a woman with blonde hair that looked like she was in her 30's walk to the far side of the field. "Nice to meet you. I'm the Silex City Gym Leader, Rena!"

"My name is Davin," He said as he walked to his side of the battlefield. "And I'm going to defeat you and earn my final badge!"

Rena chuckled. "Don't think it will be that easy. This gym is a bit different from the others you have faced."

A male judge stepped to the side of the field. "The battle between the Gym leader, Rena, and the challenger, Davin, will now begin. This will be a five-on-five gym battle! Either side whose Pokémon are unable to battle will determine the victor."

"Five-on-five?! Are you serious?" Davin asked.

"It's not what you think." Rena explained. "Here's how it will go: The first three Pokémon you send out will be part of a three-on-three match and every time a single battle is over, both the winner and the loser have to recall their Pokémon. But the next two Pokémon you choose will be a part of a double battle that will decide the victor. Got it?"

Davin frowned. "Wow. When she said this gym was different, she meant it. But still, I'm gonna do my best!"

The judge raised his flags. "Begin!"

* * *

Rena took a Poké ball from her pocket. "Here we go." While throwing, she called, "Let's go, Onix!" The ball opened and a large snake Pokémon made out of rocks appeared.

"An Onix?" Davin mumbled as he looked it up.

"Onix, the Rock Snake Pokémon, and the pre-evolved form of Steelix. It burrows through the ground at 50 mph by twisting and squirming its massive, rugged body. It is also known to feed on large boulders."

Davin took a Poké ball in his hand. "In that case, I know the perfect Pokémon for this job. I choose you, Maximus!" His Iron Snake Pokémon roared tremendously as it appeared from its ball.

Rena grinned. "You think just because you have Onix's evolved form that you can win?"

"Why not? I might as well give it a shot." He shrugged.

"Onix, use Sand Tomb!" It swung its tail and sand began to swirl around Maximus, but it didn't seem bothered by the attack.

"If that's the best you can do, this won't take long at all. Maximus, use Flash Cannon!" The white, shiny beam hit Onix directly, making it fall and faint.

The judge raised his left flag as he said, "Onix is unable to battle! Steelix wins!"

Davin's face went into shock. "What? After one hit? But what about that stuff you said about how I wouldn't be able to win by using its evolved form?"

Rena returned her Onix to its ball as she replied, "Just because I said it, doesn't mean it was true."

"Say what?" He said as he sweatdropped.

"Now, Rhydon, let's go!" Rena said as she threw her Poké ball, releasing the rhino Pokémon.

"Return, Maximus!" Davin recalled it. He took out a different one and shouted, "Socius, I choose you!"

"Rio!" It said as it appeared in a flash of white light. Davin ordered, "Okay. Sky Uppercut!" It jumped and flew towards Rhydon with its fist.

"Stone Edge, go!" Rhydon's eyes glowed white and two blue rings surrounded Rhydon's body. The rings then glowed white and formed into chunks of gray stones that hit Socius, making it fall to the ground.

"Use Aura Sphere!" Davin said. Socius got to its feet and threw the sphere at Rhydon.

"Charge in with Megahorn!" Rhydon lowered itself and ran towards Socius with its drill glowing. In the process, the Aura Sphere was destroyed on contact with its horn.

"Detect!" Socius dodged Rhydon's horn before it hit. When Socius was behind it, Davin ordered, "Sky Uppercut!"

Before Socius could do anything, Rena shouted, "Horn Drill, now!", and it was immediately struck in its body by Rhydon's spinning drill and fainted.

The judge raised his right flag and said, "Lucario is unable to battle! Rhydon wins!"

Davin growled as he recalled his Lucario. "I can't believe it. This wasn't what I expected at all."

"Nice work, Rhydon." Rena said as she recalled it. "So, Davin, feeling nervous yet?"

"This battle's far from over!" Davin threw another Poké ball. "Hearth, let's do this!"

"Mag!" The Blast Pokémon said as he appeared.

"_I know Hearth is weak against Rock Pokémon, but I want to save my two trump cards for the double battle._" Davin thought.

"This shouldn't be hard." Rena said as she released her next Pokémon. "Go, Nosepass!"

"Nose-pass." The rock Pokémon said. Davin looked it up.

"Nosepass, the Compass Pokémon, and the pre-evolved form of Probopass. As a result of its nose being a magnet, it is always positioned north. When endangered, it can protect itself by using its magnetism to draw iron objects to its body."

"All right, Nosepass, use Power Gem!" An orange ball formed in Nosepass' hands and it was thrown at its foe.

"Hearth, use Fire Spin!" The fire Pokémon released the spiral flames from his cannon that destroyed the Power Gem completely.

"Now use Fire Blast!" A ball of red-orange fire formed in Hearth's cannon and it was fired at Nosepass.

Davin grinned as he thought. "_I knew that training would pay off! Hopefully, this move and the other one Hearth learned can aid him if he needs it._"

Rena shouted, "Zap Cannon!", making Nosepass form a ball of electricity and launch it. When the moves collided, an explosion was made; however, the back blow moved to Nosepass' direction, making it suffer damage.

"Just as I thought." Davin said.

"Use Rock Tomb!" The ground beneath Nosepass erupted four large boulders and they flew over to Hearth, which surrounded him and made him unable to move anywhere.

"Oh no!" Davin said.

Nosepass jumped over the boulders as Rena shouted, "Zap Cannon!"

As the sphere of electricity was hurled towards Hearth, Davin said, "It's now or never. Hearth, use Psychic!" His eyes glowed blue, as well did the Zap Cannon. Right then, the Zap Cannon was sent back and exploded on Nosepass. Rena gasped as Davin commanded, "Now use Psychic to hurl the boulders at Nosepass!" The boulders became outlined in blue and each one collided into Nosepass, causing damage.

"Now, let's wrap this up with Fire Blast!" When the ball of fire hit Nosepass, a huge explosion was made. Nosepass fell out of the smoke and was knocked out.

"Nosepass is unable to battle! Magmortar wins!" The judge said.

"Yes! Nice job, Hearth!" Davin said.

Rena recalled Nosepass "Not bad, Davin. But the challenge is only beginning."

"Bring it on! I'll take anything you throw at me!"


	58. Chapter 58 - Vs Rena II

"Now, this will be a double batlle!" The judge stated as the two trainers glared at each other. "Each trainer will use two Pokémon at once. The battle is over when all Pokémon on either side is unable to continue."

"Ready to get crushed?" Rena said with two Poké balls in her hands.

"You wish!" Davin replied, also holding two Poké balls.

The judge raised his flags. "Begin!"

"Magcargo, Tyranitar, I choose you!" Rena said as she threw her Pokéballs. A snail-like Pokémon with a rock for its shell and a flame burning through it appeared on the left and a dinosaur-like Pokémon with spikes on its back and tail appeared on the right.

"_Those two look tough..._" Davin thought as he checked them with his Pokédex.

"Magcargo, the Lava Pokémon. It's body temperature is roughly 18,000 degrees, causing flames to spout from gaps of its hardened shell."

"Tyranitar, the Armor Pokémon. Due to its body not being harmed by any sort of attack, it is eager to make challenges against enemies. Its insolent nature makes it not care about others."

"Okay!" Davin threw his Poké balls. "Bark and Aduro, let's go!"

"Sceptile!" Bark said when he appeared.

"Infer!" Aduro spoke when it appeared.

"Not bad choices," Rena commented. "But I doubt that they'll help you."

Ignoring her, Davin commanded, "Bark, use Energy Ball on Tyranitar! Aduro, use Brick Break on Magcargo!"

Bark released the Energy Ball from his mouth while Aduro came at its foe with its hand glowing white.

"Magcargo, use Ancient power!" A silver ball formed in its mouth and it was launched at Aduro, but the ape Pokémon dodged out of the way. Tyranitar, on the other hand, was hit by Energy Ball, but it stood there as if nothing happened.

"What? It didn't work?" Davin said.

Rena chuckled. "Of course it didn't. I've raised my Tyranitar's defenses to their maximum, so any lightweight attacks won't do much damage. Now, Tyranitar, use Blizzard!" The blizzard was released from its mouth and Bark was pushed back by the force of the wind.

"Hang on, Bark! Don't give in!" Davin encouraged him. "Aduro, stop Tyranitar with Close Combat!"

"Magcargo, use Smog!" When Aduro was high in the air, Magcargo released a black fog that shrouded it and it fell to the ground, coughing.

"Oh no! Aduro!" Davin said.

"Tyranitar, use Rock Slide on Sceptile!" Its body became outlined in blue and a boulder was lifted into the air that was also outlined in blue. The boulder broke into pieces and Bark was hit by them as they were hurled at him.

"Bark, are you okay?" Davin asked.

"Sce... Sceptile!" He said, standing to his feet.

"What about you, Aduro?" It tried to stand up, but it coughed and fell to its knees, causing Davin to ask, "Aduro, what's the matter?"

"Seems Magcargo's Smog has taken effect." Rena said. "It has a 40% chance of poisoning its target if it hits."

Davin grunted. "Bark, use Solar Beam on Magcargo!"

As Bark began to charge, Rena ordered, "Blizzard, Tyranitar!" The snow storm pounded against Bark's body, but he still held on.

"Aduro, Blaze Kick!" Fighting the poison, Aduro managed to lay a solid kick to Tyranitar's side, making the Blizzard stop. The nodules on Bark's back glowed brightly.

"Do it, Bark! Solar Beam!" The attack hit its mark, but Magcargo didn't seem all that affected by it.

"Again?" Davin asked in shock. "Well, Magcargo is part Fire type, so that was bad on my end."

"Now, Magcargo, use Overheat on Sceptile!" It released a yellow-orange spiraling flame from its mouth as its body turned faint red.

"Block it with your Flame Wheel, Aduro!" The Infernape engulfed itself in flames and ascended to the air while spinning like a wheel. It darted towards Bark to protect him, but the poison caused Aduro to cancel the attack in mid-air and when it fell, it was hit by the powerful Overheat as it was about to land in front of Bark.

"Aduro!" Davin screamed. The explosion from the impact sent Aduro skidding across the field into a boulder and it fainted.

The judge raised his left flag. "Infernape is unable to battle!"

"Too bad. And out so soon..." Rena smiled.

Davin ran on to the field to the primate's side and lifted it up. "Aduro, are you alright?"

"Infern..." It gave him a nod with a smile on its face.

Davin returned it as he said, "Take a good rest." and went back to his side of the field. "Now, it's one against two. Bark won't last against Magcargo's fire moves or Tyranitar's Blizzard. What can I do to turn this around?"

"Let's go ahead and end this." Rena said. "Tyranitar, use Blizzard! Magcargo, Overheat once more!"

The attacks came fast, making Davin order, "Bark, use your Quick Attack to evade!" The Forest Pokémon disappeared from view. Rena commented, "That was so fast! I didn't even see it take off."

After Blizzard and Overheat hit the ground and caused an explosion, no one could see Bark anywhere. "Where could it have gone?" Rena asked. All Davin did was smile to himself, knowing that his plan was working.

Eventually, Davin looked towards the ceiling and cried out, "Solar Beam, now!" When Rena looked, she saw Bark on the ceiling, on all fours, and he launched a powerful beam to Tyranitar's head.

"Tyranitar!" Rena shouted. It groaned in pain as it took two steps backward.

"Energy Ball, go!" Tyranitar was hit again, this time on its chest, and fell to the ground on its back.

"Just as I thought!" Davin said. "Since Bark launched his Energy Ball from a farther distance, the move was able to pick up speed and cause greater damage."

"Tyranitar, please get up!" Rena said to it. She turned to Magcargo and said, "Use Overheat!"

"Charge in with X-Scissor!" When Overheat was fired, Bark leapt off the ceiling and pushed against the flames with his arms in a cross. He continued to push until an explosion occurred which flung Bark away from Magcargo. When the smoke cleared, Magcargo's body began to shake as it felt the recoil from the explosion.

"Magcargo, are you alright?" Rena asked it.

"Mag... Mag... Mag..." It shuddered. Right then, it fell to its side and fainted in the process.

The judge raised his right flag. "Magcargo is unable to battle!"

"Way to go, Bark!" Davin said.

Rena recalled Magcargo to its ball. "You put up a good effort. Thank you." Right then, Tyranitar managed to stand and it roared loudly, getting its fighting spirit back.

Davin grunted. "Now it's just Bark and Tyranitar. And since Rena knows about our plan of causing damage, this could be difficult."

"All right, Tyranitar, let's do this! Dragon Pulse!" A turquoise sphere formed in front of its mouth and it was fired towards its foe.

"Energy Ball!" Both of the spheres collided and exploded. Through the smoke, Bark burst through and landed a hit on Tyranitar with his X-Scissor.

Rena grunted. "No! He got me again."

Davin chuckled. "All right! Another Energy Ball!"

"Blizzard!" Bark's focus was broken and the force of the blizzard slammed it into a boulder.

"Bark!" Davin shouted. It got back to its feet, but its tail was frozen solid.

"His Sceptile can't go on for much longer, so let's get it over with! Giga Impact!" Tyranitar charged towards Bark with its entire body engulfed in a spiraling orange and purple force.

"Bark, dodge it!" He jumped in the air, but the extra weight of the ice covering his tail made him fall down and Tyranitar landed a critical direct hit! It was so powerful, it made Bark cry out in agony.

"Bark, NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Davin yelled in shock and concern.

Bark crashed into a boulder so hard that dust appeared as soon as he hit against it.

"Bark! Are you okay?!" Davin shouted.

When the dust disappeared, Bark was seen laying on his back with his eyes shut.

"Oh no... Bark..."

The judge studied Bark for a moment and raised his right flag. "Sceptile is unable to..." He was cut off by the sounds of grunting and groaning. Bark slowly rose from the boulder, eyes still shut and struggling.

"It's got spirit. I'll give it that." Rena said.

Bark slowly stood up, trying to fight the pain.

"Bark..." Davin whispered. The Grass Pokémon slowly opened his eyes while gritting his teeth. Davin closed his eyes, tightened his fists, lifted his head into the air, and screamed at the top of his lungs, "BARK! DO YOUR BEST!"

At that moment, Bark's body became surrounded by a green aura.

"Whoa. What is that?" Davin asked in amazement.

"It's Sceptile's special ability, Overgrow." Rena exclaimed. Right then, the green aura faded and Bark let out a battle cry.

"I've heard about Overgrow... When a grass Pokémon is at the edge of fainting, its Grass moves become stronger. This could be our chance!"

Rena got her mind back into the battle. "No matter. Tyranitar, Blizzard!" It was about to release it, but Tyranitar flinched in pain.

Davin grinned."Ha! Once a Pokémon uses Giga Impact, it needs to recharge, which gives us the perfect opening! Bark, use Energy Ball at full power!" When Energy Ball was formed, it was much larger than it usually was, which caused an even bigger explosion when it hit Tyranitar. Rena shielded her eyes with her arms and when the smoke cleared, Bark was gone. She looked towards the ceiling, but he wasn't there.

"Where is it this time?" She hesitated.

Davin smiled as he called out, "Solar Beam!" Rena was in utter shock when a white beam erupted from the ground under Tyranitar, which was so powerful from Overgrow that it was sent to the ceiling. Bark came up from under and Tyranitar landed hard on to the ground.

"Aah! Tyranitar!" Rena screamed. The Rock/Dark Pokémon laid on its back, knocked out.

The judge raised his left flag. "Tyranitar is unable to battle! With four wins and one loss, the victor is the challenger, Davin!"

The boy just stood there, dumbfounded by this. "We... won...?" His eyes grew bigger out of happiness. "WE WON!" Davin ran to his Pokémon and hugged him. "You did it, Bark! You really did it! I can't tell you how proud of you I am right now!"

"Sceptile." He smiled at his trainer.

Rena knelt down to her Tyranitar and helped it up. "You alright?" It nodded while growling softly. "You were excellent. Return and have a good rest." She smiled as it went back to its Poké ball.

Rena walked towards Davin. "I have to say... I had my doubts, but you proved me wrong. You're really something."

Davin turned to Bark. "We always do our best, don't we?"

"Scep." he nodded.

"Well, as proof of your victory here..." She dug in her pocket and pulled out a badge that looked like a stone wall. "... I present to you the Harden Badge."

Davin took the badge from her palm. "Thank you so much! And I mean, thank you!" He raised the badge high over his head. "Yes! We Did it! Our last badge... is the Harden Badge!"


	59. Chapter 59 - Let's Start The Rivalry

"The Mist Badge, The Fissure Badge, The Static Badge, The Silk Badge, The Scare Badge, The Stamina Badge, The Sun Badge, **and** the Harden Badge!" Davin counted as he stared at them in the case. "I can't believe I did it! All eight badges!"

He checked his Pokégear to signify where the Varex League would be held. "According to this, it'll be in Jeclover City, which is across the sea near Glomasia Town." Davin nodded. "All right! Glomasia Town, here I come!" Not wanting to waste time, he dashed across the path he was taking, eager to get there as soon as possible.

* * *

Later, after arriving in Glomasia, Davin went to the Pokémon Center to obtain his pass for the ferry.

"Here you go." Nurse Joy handed him a ticket that had a black and white ship on the top and words that read 'S.S. Roger' at the bottom.

"Thank you." Davin said as he received it. He exited the center and headed for the port, where he saw a bunch of people boarding the ferry. He showed his pass to the attendent and entered with the others.

"Whoa!" He said as he entered the main room. Round tables with white sheets covering them were all over the place, along with a red carpet that stretched from the entrance to the upstairs on the other side and chandeliers on the ceiling. "This is so cool!" He went to the buffet and started to eat various things while commenting, "Delicious!"

"Hey, Davin!" A female voice called. He turned to see it was Elaine, the girl who's Wingull couldn't fly well.

"Elaine! It's been a while." Davin greeted.

"Sure has. So, you've already gotten eight badges?"

"Yep." Davin took out his badge case and showed his eight symbols of victory.

"Nice work." Elaine took out her own badge case, which was pink instead of blue like Davin's, and showed her eight badges; four of them he recognized as the Mist, Fissure, Stamina, and Static Badges.

"Wow! So you were able to defeat Lora after all, huh?" Davin said.

She nodded. "After some tough training, I was able to make a triumphant victory."

Davin smiled as another female voice said , "So, I see you didn't waste time getting here." He saw it was Clara, looking at him with her arms folded.

"S'up, Clara?" Davin said. He turned to Elaine and said,"This is Clara. She's going to be entering the Varex League too."

"Good to meet you." Clara said. "So, Davin, you ready to lose to me?"

"Don't get cocky! It's _you_ who's going to lose to _me_."

"Of course, both of _you_ are going to lose to _me_." Elaine joined in.

Davin had an idea. "Hey. How about we have an all-out Pokémon battle to see who's better?"

Clara scoffed. "No way. The only time you'll see my Pokémon is when we'll be facing against each other in the league."

"That goes double for me." Elaine said.

"You've got a point..." Davin admitted.

Suddenly, they all heard a foghorn blow. "Attention, passengers, we are now arriving in Jeclover City." The captain announced. Hearing this, Davin ran to the deck to check out the view with the girls following him. Their eyes widened as a large stadium came into view.

"There it is..." Elaine said.

"The Varex League..." Clara said.

Davin only grinned as he thought. "Yes! My dream to become champion... is about to come true!"

* * *

After they docked and exited the ship, Davin and his friends went to the Pokémon Center to get themselves registered.

After Clara and Elaine exited the line, Davin was up next. He handed his Pokédex and badges to the Nurse Joy, who put the Pokédex in a slot in the machine, making Davin's picture appear on screen along with data analysis. After that, the nurse gave him back his stuff and gave him a book, saying, "This manual will provide you with the rules of the Varex League."

Naturally, he took it, thanked her, and walked out.

* * *

"Oh my gosh!" Elaine shouted when she saw her room at the plaza. "It's gorgeous!"

Clara laughed. "Guess you haven't stayed at a lot of hotels, have you?"

While the girls talked, Davin skimmed through the manual to see what was going to happen. "Let's see... In the qualifying rounds, each contestant will use one Pokémon against each other and the victor will advance. Then there will be three consecutive rounds where contestants will use two Pokémon and, like in the previous round, the winner advances." He turned the page. "Then after that, the final eight trainers will compete in full six-on-six battles to determine who will move on to the top four. And after that, it's just win or lose."

He smiled to himself. "Doesn't seem that bad. I'm sure I'll do great."

A few hours later, Davin went down to the Pokémon Center. "I almost forgot tell the Professor that I won all my badges. I mean, I know I have her number on my Pokégear, but since I'm here, I might as-" He stopped himself with a gasp as he saw his rival on the video phone across the corner. "It's Jett..."

Getting into the conversation, Professor Cypress said, "So, do you have in mind what Pokémon you're going to use?"

"Naturally." Her nephew smirked. "I'll be switching Pokémon from my current team to the ones I've sent to you between rounds, so make sure all of them are in tip-top shape."

"Will do." She smiled.

"Hey, Jett." Davin approached. "Hi, Professor."

"Good to see you, Davin." The professor said.

"So you actually got eight badges?" Jett said mockingly.

"Yes!" Davin said, annoyed. "And when we meet in this tournament, I'll beat you for sure! I've gotten stronger since our last few battles."

"That may be true, but I'll always overpower you no matter how strong you get."

"Don't bet on it!" Davin showed his teeth as he sneered.

The professor chuckled. "I never get tired at seeing you go at it."

Davin turned to her. "Professor Cypress, when Jett and I face each other, you'll be rooting for _me_, right?"

"Keep dreaming, Davy. It's me she'll be cheering on. She'll be booing you whenever you win against me. Or should I say '_if _' ?"

Davin growled. "You really know how to get under people's skin, you know that?"

Jett smiled. "Well, ain't that the pot calling the kettle black?"

"What?!"

"Boys, boys, boys!" The professor shouted. "Relax. I'll be rooting for both of you. Jett, you may be my nephew, but I don't want to see Davin lose either. He's got a lot of potential and he could be just as good as you are."

"Hmph! Some aunt you are." Jett said, annoyed.

"Oh, don't be that way. Anyway, I'll see you both later. Goodbye." She hanged up the phone.

"Davin, hey!" Elaine called as she approached them, along with Clara.

"Who are they?" Jett asked.

"Our rivals in this tournament. Jett, this is Clara and Elaine. Girls, this is Jett, my rival since we were seven."

"Nice to meet you." Jett said. "So, how do you know Davin?"

"Well, _we_ met when my Wingull crash landed into him." Elaine said. "And afterwards, I beat him in a Pokémon battle."

Jett chuckled. "Looks like I'm not the only one who's kicking your butt."

Davin folded his arms in annoyance. "She just got lucky, that's all."

"And Davin and I met when I ambushed him in the woods and challenged him to a double battle, which I won." Clara smugly grinned.

Jett stifled a laugh as Davin said, "Okay. I admit that was true, but in my defense, I defeated her the next time we met."

Jett calmed himself. "Well, thanks for the laughs, but I've got to get in some last minute training done. Clara, Elaine, may the best trainer win. And it's _not_ going to be Davin."

"Hey!" Davin shouted. Jett exited the lobby with a smile on his face.

"You two are pretty funny when you're together." Clara said.

"So I've been told..." He frowned.


	60. Chapter 60 - Clearing The Starting Round

That evening, Davin went to the balcony of his room and let out all of his Pokémon.

"Well, guys, tomorrow's the day we've been training for!" He said to them. "It's thanks to each and every one of you that I was able to make it this far."

"Sceptile!/Infernape!/Rio!/Mag!/Steel!/Magnemite!" They all nodded in unison.

Davin smiled. "All right! For the rest of this tournament, I'm counting on everyone to do their best! So, let's go and win that trophy!"

All of them cheered as Davin pumped his fist in the air.

* * *

The next morning, fireworks were launched into the sunny sky, signaling the start of the tournament.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Varex Region League Tournament!" The announcer said. "Trainers have gathered here from near and far to win the title of Varex League champion. Who will come out victorious?" In the trainers' waiting room, Davin, along with the other competitors, were listening.

"I'm so excited! I'm so going to win!" Davin said.

"Arrogance will get you nowhere." Clara stated from behind. "These trainers didn't get here by being pushovers. Some you may find are tougher than expected."

"She's right." Elaine said, walking to them. "You shouldn't get in over your head."

"You just wait. I'm not going to let anyone stop me from reaching my goal, especially Jett!" he grumbled.

On the battlefield, a large screen displayed two competitors faces. "To start the qualifying rounds, we have Clara vs. Billy!"

"Wish me luck." Clara stood up and went to the battlefield.

She stood on one side of the field while Billy, a boy with messy brown hair wearing an orange vest and green pants, was on the other.

The judge raised his flags. "Let the the first match begin!"

Billy was first. "All right. Let's go, Houndour!"

"Hound!" The Dark type Pokémon said as it was released.

Clara threw her Poké ball. "Marowak, I choose you!"

"Maro-wak!" The Bone Keeper Pokémon made a fighting pose.

"Houndour, use Flamethrower!"

"Marowak, Bonemerang!"

It threw its bone at the opponent, like a boomerang, and the bone flew through the fire, knocking Houndour dead in the face.

"Follow up with Sandstorm!" The sandstorm was created with one swing of Marowak's bone, making Houndour flinch with its eyes closed. Marowak burst through the storm and hit Houndour with another Bonemerang, making it faint.

When the storm cleared, the judge raised his left flag and said, "Houndour is unable to battle! Marowak and its trainer advance to the next round!"

"What a quick and powerful performance by Clara!" The announcer commented.

Davin was baffled by what he saw. "In only three moves? Even _she_ can't be that strong!"

"Maybe Billy's Houndour wasn't that strong. She could've been lucky." Elaine guessed.

After seven matches went by, Davin's picture appeared on the large screen along with a guy who had black hair and blue eyes. "Next up, we have Davin vs. Haler!"

Davin came to his side of the field as well did Haler, who was shown to be wearing a blue shirt with a red stripe across it and white pants.

The judge raised his flags. "Begin!"

Davin was the first to choose. "Bark, let's go!" The Grass Pokémon pulled its fists back, ready to battle.

"Sealeo, come on out!" A light blue sea lion with a white moustache and a beige underbelly appeared. Davin flipped his Pokédex open.

"Sealeo, the Ball Roll Pokémon, and the evolved form of Spheal. It habitually spins things on its nose to learn textures and odors. It examines new things by touching them with its nose."

"An Ice Pokémon? No problem. Bark, use Quick Attack!"

"Sealeo, Double Team!" When Bark was about to strike, Sealeo split itself into illusionary copies that surrounded its opponent.

"Bark, jump into the air and fire Energy Ball at all of them!" The Sceptile obeyed and the copies disappeared when Energy Ball made contact.

"Now, Sealeo! Aurora Beam!" All remaining copies vanished and the original Sealeo launched a rainbow beam that knocked Bark out of the air.

"Bark, use your X-Scissor!"

"Water Pulse, Sealeo!" Sealeo fired a sphere of water, but Bark easily dodged and hit it with his crossed leaves.

Davin pointed foward. "Perfect! Now use Solar Beam!" The seeds on Bark's back began to absorb the sun's rays.

"Ha! Solar Beam has left you wide open. Sealeo, use Blizzard!" A massive blizzard was launched from Sealeo's mouth, making Bark flinch as it was hit.

"Hang on, Bark! Try to focus and keep collecting energy!" Davin encouraged. He clenched his fists, trying to hold on and resist the Blizzard. In a few seconds, Bark's seeds glowed brightly.

Davin noticed this and said, "Go, Bark! Solar Beam!" It released the massive energy beam through the snow storm and the sea lion Pokémon took a huge direct hit.

"Ah! Sealeo!" Haler shouted. The Ice/Water Pokémon was knocked out on its back.

The judge raised his left flag. "Sealeo is unable to battle! Sceptile and its trainer advance!"

The crowd cheered loudly as Davin pulled his fist back in victory. "Bark, great job!"

"Scep, Sceptile." he said while smiling.

Back in the trainers' room, Clara commented, "Not bad. But I doubt he'll make farther than me."

"Davin's improved since we last fought." Elaine said.

Jett stood in the corner and just lowered his head and scoffed.

A few hours later, with Elaine and Jett winning their matches, the qualifying rounds were complete with the seventy-two original trainers narrowed down to thirty-six.

"And with that, we move on to the consecutive fighting rounds!" The announcer said. "Starting tomorrow, each participant will have to fight three battles to decide who's going to the final eight!"

* * *

Later, when everyone was in the lobby, Davin couldn't help but smile to himself. "I was totally awesome, wasn't I?"

"Please." Clara scoffed. "I could've taken down Haler without even batting an eye."

Elaine giggled. "It's fun how tournaments like this can make people overconfident."

Davin stood from his seat. "Well, either way, I can't wait until tomorrow!"


	61. Chapter 61 - Complicated Clamperl

"Aduro, use Blaze Kick!"

Davin's Infernape's foot was engulfed in fire and it landed a direct hit on its opponent, making it faint.

The judge raised his left flag. "Risa's Jolteon is unable to battle! The victory goes to Davin!" The crowd stood up and cheered for the winning trainer as he waved to them as if he were someone famous.

"And Davin from Blazehill Town wins his second consecutive battle!" The announcer stated.

The boy exited from stadium B, where his match had taken place, and headed for stadium A, where Elaine's match was taking place.

"Graveler, use Rollout!" Elaine ordered. The rock Pokémon curled itself into a ball and began to roll straight to its opponent.

"Forretress, Protect!" Vale, her opponent, said. A green dome-shaped shield surrounded Forretress and Graveler was sent flying backwards when it hit it.

"And Forretress shields itself with its Protect!" The announcer said.

In the stands, Davin arrived and sat beside Clara, who was also watching the battle.

"How'd your match go?" she asked.

"Piece of cake. You?"

"Same here. I heard Jett won his as well."

He frowned when he heard that and turned his attention to the battle. While watching, he looked up the two Pokémon on his Pokédex.

"Forretress, the Bagworm Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pineco. Its body is encased in a steel shell. With it's eyes the only thing that can be seen, it is unknown what is inside of the shell."

"Graveler, the Rock Pokémon, and the evolved form of Geodude. Due to its slow pace when it walks, it rolls to travel from place to place."

Davin smiled. "So her Geodude evolved. It must be at least twice as stronger since I last faced it."

"Graveler, use Flamethrower!" It breathed a blazing flame that made Forretress use Protect again, but due to it having been used twice, the shield quickly faded and the Pokémon was covered in flames.

"Forretress' Protect failed and now Graveler's Flamethrower is causing super effective damage!" said the announcer.

"Forretress, no!" Vale shouted as the Bug/Steel Pokémon fainted to the ground.

The judge raised his left flag. "Forretress is unable to battle! The winner is Elaine from Makita Town!"

"All right!" She cheered as she ran over and hugged her Pokémon. "Graveler, you were excellent!"

"Gravel, Grav." it responded.

Clara smiled a bit. "She's not half bad. I'd say she'd make it pretty far from what I expect."

Davin nodded. "Maybe."

* * *

Meeting at the Pokémon Center, the two girls and Davin discussed their first two consecutive battles.

"In my first battle, Socius and Bark defeated a Pachirisu and Mankey. Then in the second, Maximus and Aduro took down a Noctowl and Jolteon."

"Not bad." Elaine said. "Hope you do well in your third battle."

"Yeah. That way, I can beat you when we're in the final eight." Clara said.

"Keep on dreaming because no one's stopping me!" Davin said.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Davin's third and final consecutive battle was about to begin.

"The fourth third consecutive battle is Davin from Blazehill Town vs. Nicholas from Fulgetra City!" The announcer said.

"Begin the battle!" The judge said.

"I choose you, Hearth!" Davin threw his Poké ball and the Fire Pokémon appeared.

"Lairon, let's go!" Nicholas released a steel dinosaur-like Pokémon from its ball.

"Hearth, start by using Fire Punch!"

"Iron defense, go!" Lairon's body started to shine and it seemed unaffected when Fire Punch hit. "Now, use Mud-Slap!" It shot a glob of mud from its mouth that hit Hearth's eyes and obscured his vision.

"A swift Mud-Slap move blinds Magmortar! How will it counterattack?"

"Hearth, use Fire Spin!"

"Dig!" Lairon burrowed into the ground when it heard the command; Hearth fired his move, but it missed instantly. Seconds later, Lairon erupted from the earth and tackled Hearth to the ground.

Davin grunted. "Hearth, use Psychic!" Lairon's body started to levitate as it was outlined by blue. It immediately flew into the sky and was coming back down. "Fire Blast, right now!" The Iron Armor Pokémon was quickly enveloped by the move before it could hit the ground.

"Fire Blast hits dead on and Lairon takes massive damage!"

"Lairon, are you okay?" Nicholas asked.

"Quick! Fire Spin!" A flame vortex hit Lairon in the face and it quickly fainted when it fell.

"Lairon is unable to battle! Magmortar wins!" The judge announced.

"Wow! Even when it couldn't see a thing, Magmortar was able to claim victory!" The announcer said as Nicholas returned Lairon to its ball.

"Hearth, how you feeling? Think you can go on?" Davin asked.

"Mag, Mag." He nodded to him.

"Hmph." Nicholas said. "That was nothing but a warm-up." He threw a Poké ball on to the field. "Now, the real battle begins!" The ball opened and in a flash of white light, a clam-like Pokémon with a pink pearl inside appeared.

"A Clamperl?" Davin said in surprise. "There's no way it can defeat my Magmortar, even if it is a Water type."

"Clearly, you haven't faced a Clamperl like mine!" He chuckled. "Clamperl, use Whirlpool!" A giant whirlpool formed on top of its shell and when it was released, Hearth was hit and took damage by the swirling, rapid water.

"Clamperl starts the battle with Whirlpool and puts Hearth in a really big pinch!"

"Use Ice Beam to freeze it!" Nicholas ordered. When the beam hit, Hearth was completely frozen inside the Whirlpool.

Davin gasped. "Hearth, you can break out of there! Use your Fire Spin!"

"Body Slam!" Clamperl took its whole shell and bounced towards the frozen Hearth, in one leap, and a small explosion occurred on impact. Hearth came flying out and when it landed, the judge saw that it had fainted.

He raised his right flag. "Magmortar is unable to battle! Clamperl wins!"

Davin recalled Hearth and took out a new Poké ball. "If it's water we're dealing with, then I'll use an Electric type. Zapter, I choose you!"

"Mag, Magnemite!" It said after Davin threw the Poké ball to release it.

"Even an Electric Pokémon won't help you now. Clamperl, use Mud Sport!" Globs of mud were released from Clamperl's mouth and it splattered all around Magnemite.

"Uh-oh. When Mud Sport is used, all electric attacks are weakened. Big trouble for Magnemite."

"Zapter, use Sonic boom!" Clamperl slid back as the white shock wave hit its shell.

Nicholas scoffed. "Useless. Clamperl, use Whirlpool!"

"Zapter, destroy it with Thunderbolt!" When Clamperl's move was launched, Zapter's electric blast annihilated it; afterwards, Clamperl had disappeared.

"What? Where'd it go?" Davin turned from left to right to spot it, but Clamperl immediately slammed down on to Zapter from the air and both fell to the ground.

"So Clamperl used that Whirlpool for a distraction and surprised Magnemite with a Body Slam from above."

"Zapter, are you okay?" Davin asked. It slowly tried to rise, but it quickly went back down when electric sparks appeared around it.

"Looks like Clamperl's Body Slam has paralyzed Magnemite. That Clamperl is full of sneaky surprises."

Davin clenched his fists. "Oh, man! What am I going do?"


	62. Chapter 62 - A Discharged Win

"All right, Clamperl, let's finish this with Ice Beam!" A light-blue freeze ray fired from its body.

Davin grunted. "Come on, Zapter! Dodge it!"

"Mag... ne..." Zapter struggled and managed to flip itself over to narrowly avoid the hit.

"Magnemite escapes Ice Beam, but can it go on for much longer?"

"Use Discharge!" Since it didn't have to move its body to use it, Zapter unleashed the bolts of blue electricity. Clamperl took the hit, due to Mud Sport weakening Discharge's power, but it still took damage. "This is _not_ what I was expecting at all. I can't lose! Not yet!"

Nicholas grinned. "You two have fought hard, but this is where it ends! Clamperl, use Body Slam!" It hurled itself into the air and was diving straight down towards the paralyzed Pokémon.

The announcer stated, "Clamperl is coming down at a fast rate! Looks like this is the end for Magnemite."

Davin gasped. "That's it! Use Discharge, right now!"

Clamperl was two seconds away from Zapter until it was hit by Discharge at a super close range.

Nicholas gasped. "Oh no!" Clamperl fell on the top side of its upper shell and sparks started to cover its entire body.

"Whoa! When Magnemite released that Discharge at the last second, it resulted in Clamperl getting paralyzed as well!"

"Yes!" Davin said. "Now, Zapter! Pick yourself up and use Gyro Ball!" It lifted itself and began to spin rapidly, hitting Clamperl as it went straight toward it. "Follow up with Thunderbolt!" The Bivalve Pokémon suffered more electrical damage as it cried out in pain.

Nicholas thought quickly. "Use Whirlpool!"

"Sonic boom, now!" Zapter immediately launched the white shock wave from its magnets and Clamperl was hit before Whirlpool could even be formed. To Nicholas' dismay, Clamperl had fainted upon that attack.

The judge raised his left flag and said, "Clamperl is unable to battle! Magnemite wins! The victory goes to Davin from Blazehill Town!"

"Yeah!" Davin rejoiced as he jumped in the air and ran over to his Magnemite. "Thanks, Zapter. You really hung in there for me."

"Magne-mite." It happily said as its trainer praised it by rubbing its head.

"A close call." Clara stated from the stands. "Thank goodness Davin is strategic or we may have just witnessed a lost."

"I guess you could say that..." Elaine said, relieved that Davin won.

By the entrance to the stadium, Jett was watching as well and thought to himself, "If it was that hard, then he won't last in the next few rounds." and he walked away.

* * *

Later that day, Clara had won her third battle with help from her Skiploom, Elaine won her's with her Chimecho, and Jett won his with his Fearow.

"All right!" The announcer said. "With three consecutive round battles over, the final eight have been selected."

Davin's, Jett's, Clara's, and Elaine's pictures were up on the large screen along with four other trainers.

"Now, the match ups for the quarter-finals will be determined by shuffling." All of the pictures began to rotate quickly as Davin and the others viewed anxiously to see who they would be facing. Right then, the pictures seperated into corners, two by two, and the results were revealed.

Top right corner - **Davin vs. Clara**

Top left corner - **Unknown female trainer vs. Unknown male trainer**

Lower right corner - **Elaine vs. Jett**

Lower left corner - **Unknown male trainer vs Unknown male trainer**

"And there you have it! From here on, all battles will be six-on-six!" The announcer stated as the crowd cheered.

In the trainers' room, Clara and Davin both grinned at each other.

"So, tomorrow is the day that you lose." Clara said. "Can't say I feel bad."

Davin stood up from where he was sitting. "No way am I losing to you! My goal is to face Jett and you're not stopping me from getting there!"

"Well, your goal is going to have to wait," Elaine said. "Because I'll defeat Jett and head straight to the semifinals."

Davin scoffed. "Good luck. Comparing your strength to his, you barely have a chance. Believe me."

"We'll see." She said as she walked off.

* * *

That night, Davin couldn't get to sleep, thinking about his battle with Clara. "_I'm sure it won't be that hard. I mean, I beat her once, but could she have gotten stronger since we met a few days ago?_"

He turned to his left side. "I wonder..."


	63. Chapter 63 - QF Battle! Davin Vs Clara!

The sun shined brightly as the stadium filled with cheers. Both competitors rose from the rising platforms on to the battlefield where their match would take place.

"Here we go, everyone!" The announcer boomed. "The first match of the quarterfinals is about to commence with Davin vs. Clara!"

Davin rose his fist. "_No way I'm losing to her. I'm the one who'll claim victory._"

Clara tossed her hair and smiled. "_I've been waiting for this moment. Though it's sad that he won't be in the finals after I win._"

Elaine viewed the battle from the stands. "_Finally, these two will battle. I can't wait to see how Davin's skills have improved._"

Davin threw out the first Pokémon. "Aduro, I choose you!"

"Fernape!" It said as it appeared on the field.

Clara chose a Poké ball and threw it. "Go, Scizor!"

"Sci-zor!" It said as it made a fighting stance. Both Pokémon's images appeared on the large screen, inside one of six circles beside the trainers' pictures.

"All right." The announcer said. "Let the first battle of the quarterfinals... begin!"

"Scizor, use Aerial Ace!" The girl commanded. It flew towards its foe as white streaks of light surrounded its body.

"Dodge it!" The boy ordered. Aduro did an acrobatic flip and Scizor missed as it kept flying straight.

"Scizor, make a U-turn!" The Bug Pokémon quickly reversed its direction and hit Aduro from behind.

"A miss at first and then a hit! A clever maneuver by Clara."

"Aduro, use Flare Blitz!" The flame on Aduro's head surrounded its body and it charged downward, hitting Scizor directly in its abdomen.

Clara gasped. "Flare Blitz? But how?"

Davin chuckled to himself. "When you can't sleep, midnight training is a way to kill time and learn new moves before a battle."

Clara simply grinned. "No matter. Scizor, use Secret Power!" Its body became surrounded in a pink aura and pink energy waves came from its claws and constricted Aduro, causing it to screech in pain.

"Oh no! Secret Power changes effects depending on the location of the battle. And since this is a stadium, Infernape becomes paralyzed!"

"Aduro!" Davin shouted as his Pokémon was on its hands and knees.

"Steel Wing, let's go!" Scizor's wings glowed white and it glided towards the paralyzed victim.

"Aduro, evade it!" It was hit in the center of its body before it could react.

"With Infernape's body being paralyzed, it can't seem to make a move." The announcer stated.

Agreeing with him, Davin held up a Poké ball. "Return, Aduro!" A red beam shot from it and brought the Infernape back to its ball.

"Socius, I choose you!" The Aura Pokémon appeared in a flash of white light. On the screen, Aduro's picture faded to blue and Socius' picture appeared in the circle beneath it.

"Scizor, use Secret Power!"

"Keep dreaming! Socius, Extreme Speed!" Socius disappeared in a blur, quickly reappearing behind Scizor. "Aura Sphere!" Scizor was knocked into the air by a swift attack from behind.

"Use Extreme Speed, then Sky Uppercut!" Fading and reappearing in the air, Scizor was knocked straight into the ground by Sky Uppercut.

"Scizor!" Clara shouted in worry. When the dust cleared from the impact, Scizor was completely knocked out.

"Scizor is unable to battle! Lucario wins!" The judge announced. Scizor's image faded to black and white on the screen.

"Using Extreme Speed as an advantage, Davin was able to take down Scizor. Magnificent!"

"Nice work, Socius!" Davin said.

"Cario." It nodded.

Clara returned Scizor to its ball and said to it, "Good work. Take a good rest." She sent out her next Pokémon. "Now, Crobat, I choose you!"

"Cr-ro!" It spoke as it flew out.

"A Crobat?" Davin said, checking his Pokédex.

"Crobat, the Bat Pokémon, and the evolved form of Golbat. The development of the wings on its legs upon evolution allow it to fly fast, but it also makes it tough for it to stop and rest."

"Ha! No problem here. Socius, use Extreme Speed!"

"Haze, now!" Crobat spread a black mist around the battlefield, enabling view of it impossible.

"Shoot! I thought that would work." Davin said, trying to see through the mist. Inside of it, Socius tried to seek out Crobat, but it couldn't be seen.

"Crobat, use your Air Cutter!" Blades of wind suddenly slashed through the mist, making the field viewable and hitting Socius directly.

"Socius, hang on! Use Copycat!" It regained itself and it fired wind blades from its fists, bombarding Crobat's body as they were released.

"Whoa! After getting hit with Crobat's Air Cutter, Lucario counterattacks by copying it and using Air Cutter as well!"

"Crobat, use Confuse Ray!"

"You know what to do!" Before Crobat could attack, Socius used Extreme Speed to get behind it and tackled the bat from behind.

"Oh no!" Clara shouted as her Crobat skidded across the field and laid motionless.

"Crobat is unable to battle! Lucario wins!"

"And Davin's Lucario takes down another one of Clara's Pokémon!" The announcer boomed.

"Wow! Socius has become a lot powerful since I battled it." Elaine said.

Clara returned Crobat to its ball and Davin said to her, "If this is all you have, there's no chance of you beating me!"

She grinned smugly. "Don't get too confident. This is just the beginning!" She tossed a Poké ball on to the field. "Ninetales, let's go!" A yellowish-gold fox with nine tails appeared as it stared at Socius with its vixen, amber eyes. Davin looked it up.

"Ninetales, the Fox Pokémon, and the evolved form of Vulpix. Legend has it that this Pokémon's nine tails each hold a unique type of special mystery power that makes it live for a thousand years."

"Ninetales, use Flamethrower!" The fox Pokémon released a shot of fire from its mouth.

"Dodge it!" Socius jumped to avoid it.

"Don't let it escape." Hearing Clara's order, Ninetales' eyes glowed and the flames turned up and caught Socius within its grasp, causing it to burn.

Davin gasped as the announcer said, "Amazing! Ninetales can control the flames at will! What power it must have to do such a thing!"

"Dark Pulse!" Ninetales jumped back and fired a beam of dark purple circles and Socius was knocked to the ground by it; it just lied there where it was, unconscious.

"Lucario is unable to battle! Ninetales wins!" The judge announced.

Davin blinked. "What power..." He said as he returned Socius to its Poké ball.

"I doubt you'll be able to take down my Ninetales." She stated. "I've raised it carefully so that it could be one of my most unbeatable Pokémon. As long as she's on the field, you can kiss goodbye to the finals."

Davin gritted his teeth as he clenched his fists tightly.


	64. Chapter 64 - When Things Get Insane

Davin took a deep breath. "Okay. Don't panic. She's just trying to scare you." He told himself. "Just because it looks bad, doesn't mean there's no solution." He took a Poké ball from his pocket and threw it towards the field. "Go, Maximus!"

The Iron Snake Pokémon let out a roar as it entered the battle.

Clara laughed to herself. "Obviously he's giving up if he's using a Steel type against a Fire type." She pointed towards the opponent. "Ninetales, use Flamethrower!"

"Sandstorm, now!" Ninetales' flames died out as soon as the sand came into contact. Both she and Clara flinched when the sandstorm was on their side of the field.

"Steelix's powerful Sandstorm has got the whole field in a sandy mess!"

Clara grunted. "Ninetales, use Roar!" She let out a loud, echoing cry and Maximus returned to its Poké ball by itself. Then a white light shot out of Davin's left pocket and Aduro appeared, still paralyzed by Scizor's Secret Power.

"No!" He shouted.

"Yes!" Clara said. "Now, Ninetales! Giga Impact!" She ran towards Aduro with her body covered in yellow-orange streaks and, a second later, a purple aura.

"Aduro! Get out of there! Quick!" Too late. Aduro's body was struck by the powerful impact and it fainted.

"Infernape is unable to battle! Ninetales wins!" The judge announced.

Davin sighed and recalled Aduro. "I'm sorry about that. Take as long as a rest you need to get better."

He threw his next Poké ball. "Hearth, get out here!" He shouted as the Blast Pokémon made its appearance.

"Big mistake." Clara said. "Use Dark Pulse!"

This time, Davin had a smug grin on _his_ face. "Send it back with Psychic!"

"Psychic?!" Clara practically shouted in surprise. Hearth put his hands out in front of him and the Dark Pulse reversed its direction, going towards Ninetales. "Destroy it with another Dark Pulse!" Ninetales followed orders and smoke spread throughout the field upon collision. When it cleared, Hearth was gone.

"What?" She looked towards the sky and saw him hovering above Ninetales.

"Use Psychic, now!" Ninetales levitated into the air with Hearth while its body was outlined in blue.

"Quick! Use Roar!" Ninetales opened its mouth, but that's all it did before Hearth sent it straight into one of the stadium wall barriers. When the smoke cleared from her impact, Ninetales was shown to have fainted.

"Ninetales is unable to battle! Magmortar wins!"

"The all-powerful Ninetales is finally taken down!" The announcer boomed.

"Great job, Hearth! You really saved us there." Davin thanked.

Clara recalled her Ninetales. "I admit that Psychic took me by surprise, but that won't happen again!" She sent out her next Pokémon. "Ludicolo, it's your turn!"

"Ludi!" It shouted happily as it began to dance.

"That's an odd Pokémon..." Davin stated as he checked his Pokédex.

"Ludicolo, the Carefree Pokémon, and the evolved form of Lombre. If it hears festive music, it begins moving in rhythm to amplify its power. It can not resist breaking out into dance whenever it can."

"Hear that, Hearth? That Ludicolo is the same Lombre you faced before. Now it can see how stronger you've gotten when you defeat it."

Clara scoffed. "Don't get your hopes up. Ludicolo may be a bit goofy at times, but never underestimate its strength. Right?"

"Colo!" It said, getting in its serious mode.

"Enough talk!" Davin pointed towards it. "Hearth, use Fire Spin!"

"Ludicolo, Hydro Pump!" The water type move broke through Fire Spin and hit Hearth directly.

"Hearth, use Fire Blast!" The flame was shot, but Ludicolo easily jumped out of the way and made Hearth take more damage with another Hydro Pump.

"Magmortar's been hit by two Hydro Pumps in a row! One more and this could be it!"

"Now, use Ice Beam!"

"Block it with another Fire Blast!" After the attacks collided, Ludicolo was above Hearth in the air.

"Hydro Pump once more!" Hearth got a face full of Hydro Pump and fainted by falling on his back.

"Magmortar is unable to battle! Ludicolo wins!"

"No way..." Davin was practically speechless as he recalled Hearth.

Clara laughed to herself. "What'd I tell you?"

Davin grunted. "Ludicolo's going down! Bark, I choose you!" The Grass Pokémon appeared with a glance in his eyes.

"Hmph." Clara said calmly. "Ludicolo's part Grass type, so there's no way that you can win wit-"

"X-Scissor!" He interupted. Bark impacted Ludicolo with its crossed leaves glowing blue.

"Aah!" Clara let out as the announcer stated, "A clear hit! Since X-Scissor is a Bug type move, it's super effective!"

"Follow with Quick Attack!" Bark dashed towards Ludicolo and tackled it before he hit the ground.

Clara grunted. "Ludicolo, Drain Punch!"

"Use Quick Attack to get close, then go right in to X-Scissor!" Both Pokémon were running towards each other, but Bark dashed past it and used X-Scissor on Ludicolo's back.

"No!" Clara shouted as Ludicolo fell face down on the field, not getting up.

"Ludicolo is unable to battle! Sceptile wins!"

"Yeah! You rock, Bark!" Davin cheered.

Clara returned Ludicolo and held a new Poké ball in her hand. She clenched it tightly and she began to shake with anger as she said, "This isn't over! Not by a long shot!"

She threw her Poké ball. "Go, Arcanine!" A large dog-like Pokémon with an orange body that had black stripes and cream colored fur on its head, legs, and tail appeared. Davin scanned it with his Pokédex.

"Arcanine, the Legendary Pokémon, and the evolved form of Growlithe. Its magnificent bark conveys a sense of majesty that can not help but make people grovel before it when it reaches their ears."

"Arcanine, use Overheat!" It released a huge blast of fire as its body turned a dark red.

"Bark, dodge it!" He attempted, but Overheat hit before he could even move an inch.

"A powerful direct hit! The first use of an Overheat is always the strongest. And with Sceptile being a Grass type, it's doubly super effective!"

"Now, Fire Fang!" Arcanine's mouth filled with fire and it strongly bit Bark's shoulder, resulting in him shrieking in pain and losing consciousness afterwards.

"Sceptile is unable to battle! Arcanine wins!"

Clara grinned with all of her teeth showing in a sort of psychotic, happy way. When Davin noticed this after he returned Bark, he thought, "_What's with that look? That's not one of her usual expressions._"

Ignoring the thought, Davin sent out Maximus to fight and called for a Sandstorm; Arcanine retaliated with Extreme Speed and tackled Maximus from behind.

"Maximus, use Crunch!"

"Dodge and use Overheat!" Arcanine jumped to the side and fired another huge blast of fire that was less violent than the first one and the Iron Snake Pokémon howled in pain as it was hit

"Fire Fang!" She ordered. Davin commanded Maximus to use Flash Cannon, but the Legendary Pokémon evaded it and bit the Steelix on the side of its body with fiery power.

"Maximus!" Davin shouted as it fell over and fainted.

"Steelix is unable to battle! Arcanine wins!"

The announcer stated, "Whoa! Arcanine can't be beat! Now, Davin is down to his last Pokémon." Despite that, the boy returned his Steelix to its ball with a calm look on his face.

Clara thought in her mind, "_What? He's down to his last Pokémon and he's not even worried?_" She scowled. "_Please. He's not fooling anyone. I've studied Davin's Pokémon and the only one he hasn't used yet is his Magnemite, and there's no way it can stand up to my Fire type Arcanine when its a Steel type._"

Davin held a Poké ball in his hand. "It's up to you. Don't let me down." He took a stance, threw the ball, and yelled, "Let's go!"

The ball opened and an insect-like Pokémon with green wings, a light tanned body, and light green eyes appeared. Clara gasped with shock and horror as the announcer said, "And Davin's last Pokémon is Vibrava!"

"I had a feeling something like this would happen," Davin told her. "So I switched my Magnemite for an old friend to deal with you."

Clara shook her tightened fists in rage. "No matter! It can't help you now! Arcanine, Overheat!"

"Sander, use Protect!" The Vibration Pokémon descended to the ground and blocked the attack with a green shield over its body.

"Extreme Speed, NOW!" Clara screamed with force and craziness in her voice. Arcanine appeared behind Sander and tackled it with force.

"Heh-heh!" Clara said through clenched teeth and wide open eyes.

"Use Earthquake!" Sander slammed the ground with its feet and shock waves traveled through the ground and hit Arcanine.

The announcer stated. "And Arcanine is hit with a super effective Earthquake!"

"Follow with Dragon Breath! Go!" A light blue beam of air exhaled from its mouth and hit the Fire Pokémon as well.

"Don't take that, Arcanine! FIRE FANG, NOW!" She shouted hysterically.

"Dragon Breath, once more!" Arcanine came at it, but Sander swiftly dodged and fired another beam of air that struck Arcanine from behind and made it faint when it hit the ground.

"Arcanine is unable to battle! Vibrava wins!"

"Awesome work, Sander!" Davin congratulated.

"Vi, Vibra!" It turned its head and smiled at him.

"GRRRRRR!" Clara shouted after she recalled her Pokémon. "I STILL HAVE ONE POKEMON LEFT!" She said psychotically as she tossed a ball and released her Skiploom.

"I don't know what's going on with you, Clara, but this is where it ends! Sander, use Rock Slide!" Its wings glowed white as it flapped them to release a barrage of rocks.

Clara crazily said, "HA HA! USELESS, USELESS! SKIPLOOM, USE YOUR SILVER WIND!" The attack simply had no effect and Skipllom was hit by the rocks, causing super effective damage.

"Dragon Breath, let's go!" The Cotton Weed Pokémon was hit directly by the beam of air.

"Now... Finish it with another Rock Slide!"

"NO WAY! SKIPLOOM, USE BLIZZARD AT MAXIMUM POWER TO ITS FULLEST!" All it did was have a confused look on its face and it was hit by Rock Slide, making it faint.

"Skiploom is unable to battle! Vibrava wins! Therefore, the victor of the first quarterfinal battle is Davin from Blazehill Town!"

On the large screen, Clara and her Pokémon's pictures disappeared and Davin and his Pokémon's pictures went to the center as "Winner" was above them.

"After a great battle, Davin emerges victorious!" The announcer boomed.

Davin ran to Sander and gave it a hug. "We did it, Sander! We won!"

"Vibra!" It said happily.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Clara screamed at the top of her lungs, which caused everyone to stare at her. "THIS CAN'T BEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I WON'T ALLOW IT! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" She returned her Skiploom and ran out of the stadium.

The whole stadium was silent. Both Davin and Sander looked at each other in confusion.

* * *

When Davin exited and went to the Pokémon Center, he turned to a corner and saw Clara sitting on the floor, sobbing. People were staring at her out of confusion. He walked toward her and gently said, "Clara?"

She turned her head around and Davin saw tears running down her face. As soon as she saw it was him, she turned her head away and cried more.

Davin put his hand on her shoulder and asked, "Clara... what happened back there? Why'd you suddenly freak out during the battle?"

She whimpered and sniffled as she said, "I can't... believe I lost... in such an important tournament..."

Davin sighed. "Clara, I know it's hard to lose, but you've got to think positive and look forward to the battles you'll win in the fut..."

"SHUT UP!" She smacked his hand away from her shoulder and stood up. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! I'VE WORKED HARD FOR THIS MOMENT AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO WIN! I'M ALWAYS SUPPOSED TO WIN!" She dashed out of the Pokémon Center with everyone speechless.

Davin looked back and had concern in his eyes. "Clara..."


	65. Chapter 65 - 3rd Battle! Elaine Vs Jett!

One round later after the psycho episode, it was time for Elaine's match against Jett; Davin was in the crowd to watch how the girl would do against his rival.

"The third quarterfinal match is about to begin!" The announcer stated. "This will be a six-on-six battle. Either side who's Pokémon are defeated first loses and the victor will advance. Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"

Elaine was first. "Victreebel, I choose you!" She threw the Poké ball and when it opened, a large bell-shaped plant Pokémon appeared and let out a screech upon entrance.

_Davin's Pokédex_: "Victreebel, the Flycatcher Pokémon, and the evolved form of Weepinbell. By attracting prey with aromatic honey, it can melt them in its mouth once it swallows them."

Jett nonchalantly smiled and threw his Poké ball. "Altaria, let's go!" A large bird with a blue body and white feathers that resembled clouds appeared in a flash of white light.

_Davin's Pokédex_: "Altaria, the Humming Pokémon, and the evolved form of Swablu. When in flight, it looks like a fluffy cloud and it sings with its soprano voice."

The judge raised both of his flags. "Begin the battle!"

"Victreebel, use Sleep Powder!" The leaf on top of its mouth scattered white dust particles towards the Flying Pokémon.

"Dodge, Altaria! Then use Mist!" It flew higher into the air and released a white fog from its mouth.

"Uh oh. The whole field is shrouded in Mist. And Victreebel can't see a thing."

"Sky Attack!" Altaria burst through the white mist, engulfed in a white aura, and rammed itself into Victreebel.

"A super effective hit!" The judge commented.

"Victreebel, Stockpile!" Its body became larger as it inhaled.

Jett smirked as he called out, "Flamethrower!", making Altaria breathe a stream of fire that burned Victreebel's entire body, causing it to fall over and faint.

"Victreebel is unable to battle! Altaria wins!"

Elaine returned Victreebel into its ball as the announcer said, "Taken down in two powerful hits! That's one lost for Elaine."

"Can't say I didn't see it coming." Davin said.

Elaine wasn't worried the slightest as she sent out her next Pokémon. "Glalie, you're up next!"

"Glal!" The Face Pokémon said when it appeared.

"Cool. Her Snorunt evolved." Davin said. "Since it's an Ice type, it shouldn't be that hard to take Altaria down."

"Altaria, use Flamethrower!" When the fire was released, Elaine ordered, "Glalie, use Protect!" and the flames were deflected when a green forcefield appeared over its body.

"Dive in with Sky Attack!" Altaria flew towards the Ice Pokémon with its body shrouded in white.

When it was in close range, Elaine made her move and shouted, "Sheer Cold!"

"What?!" Both Jett and Davin said as Glalie's body released a wave of light blue energy that spread across the field and froze everything in its path, including its attacker; Altaria fell to the ground and fainted while it was frozen solid.

"Altaria is unable to battle! Glalie wins!"

"Whoa! Not only did Glalie's Sheer Cold turn the battlefield into ice, but it knocked out Altaria as well!" said the announcer.

Jett recalled the frozen Pokémon and took out another Poké ball, not worried a bit. "Don't think it's gonna be that easy against me! Come on out, Typhlosion!"

"Typhlo!" It growled.

"Use Overheat to melt the field!" Typhlosion released the powerful fire move and the ice began to melt. Soon, the field was back the way it was before Sheer Cold hit. "That's better. Return!" Jett held up its ball and it disappeared inside.

"Huh?" Davin said. "He only brought it out to get rid of the ice?"

"Hitmontop, I choose you!" Jett released a Pokémon who's head had a large point.

_Davin's Pokédex_: "Hitmontop, the Handstand Pokémon, and the evolved form of Tyrouge. It can launch kicks by standing on its head and spinning like a top. If it spins at high speed, it may bore its way to into the ground."

"Glalie, use Shadow Ball!"

"Hitmontop, Rolling Kick!" He got on his head and started spinning while moving forward, destroying the Shadow Ball in its path, and he kicked Glalie on its side to make it spin wildly. "Now use Triple Kick!" Hitmontop launched himself into the air and kicked Glalie on its head, side, and bottom, making it fall to the ground and lose consciousness.

Elaine gasped before the judge announced, "Glalie is unable to battle! Hitmontop wins!"

"Another double hit knockout! Jett is getting off with a great start."

After returning Glalie, she shouted as she threw her next Poké ball, "Pelipper, it's time!"

"Pelipper!" The Pelican Pokémon squawked.

Davin's eyes widened. "Pelipper! Her Wingull evolved, too!"

Elaine pointed towards Hitmontop. "Okay, Pelipper! Use Aerial Ace!" It spread its wings out and it soared towards its foe as white streaks covered its body.

"And it can fly perfectly now!" Davin exclaimed.

"Hitmontop, use Counter!" His body glowed red and as soon as Pelipper made contact, there was an explosion. Pelipper flung out of the smoke with red sparks covering its whole body.

"Pelipper, Air Slash!" A sphere of wind gathered in its right wing and it hurled it towards the foe.

"Rapid Spin! Go!" Hitmontop twirled himself at high speed, ignoring the hit from Air Slash, and struck Pelipper under its large beak.

At that moment, Jett recalled Hitmontop and sent out another Pokémon. "Luxray, I choose you!"

"Lux!" It growled.

Jett pointed towards Pelipper and commanded, "Thunder! At full blast!" Luxray's body sparkled with electricity and an electric blast enveloped the Water/Flying type, causing it to pass out and hit the ground.

"Pelipper is unable to battle! Luxray wins!"

"At the last second, Jett substitutes Hitmontop for Luxray and knocks out Pelipper with a powerful Thunder move! Elaine is down to only three Pokémon."

"Luxray?" Davin said as he looked in his Pokédex.

"Luxray, the Gleam Eyes Pokémon. It can see clearly through walls and objects to look for hidden items, prey, or its lost young."

"I've got a feeling Elaine's time in the Varex League is almost up..." He commented.

Elaine thought to herself, "_Davin wasn't kidding. This guy __**is**__ strong. But I still won't give up... not until the very end!_" She threw another Poké ball and her Rock type appeared. "Graveler, use Magnitude!" It jumped into the air was about to stomp on the ground.

"Iron Tail, now!" Luxray's tail glowed white and it smacked Graveler with it, knocking the boulder Pokémon to the ground.

"Graveler is unable to battle! Luxray wins!"

Elaine recalled Graveler, feeling a bit frustrated. "Chimecho!" The Wind Chime Pokémon appeared from its ball with the bell on its head ringing in a pleasant tone.

Jett recalled Luxray, making Elaine gasp, "What?" and he called out Misdreavus as its replacement. She grunted and shouted, "Chimecho, use Shock Wave!"

"Misdreavus, use Charge Beam!" Both electric attacks made an explosion and Misdreavus appeared behind Chimecho. "Shadow Ball!" Chimecho was knocked to the ground when Misdreavus' dark ball of energy exploded on it.

"Chimecho, Astonish!"

"Charge Beam!" Chimecho was shocked by the attack before it could use its move. "Finish it with another Shadow Ball!" The sphere hit and Chimecho fainted.

"Chimecho is unable to battle! Misdreavus wins!"

"Excellent! Jett can not be beat! Now, there's only one Pokémon remaining on Elaine's side!"

She returned Chimecho and held her last Poké ball in both of her hands. "Do your best." She whispered. "Go!"

Her last Pokémon was a dark blue weasel with a red crown and collar that had sharp claws on its hands and feet.

"What's that Pokémon?" Davin said as he viewed the Pokédex.

"Weavile, the Sharp Claw Pokémon, and the evolved form of Sneasel. It communicates by carving odd patterns in frosted trees and is known to live in regions of snow."

Jett recalled Misdreavus and sent out a Pokémon that looked like a horse with flames on its mane that reached all the way to its tail and a horn on the top of its head.

"Rapidash, the Fire Horse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Ponyta. At full gallop, its four hooves barely touch the ground because it moves incredibly fast. It can reach 150 mph at only 10 steps."

"Rapidash, use Flame Wheel!" It ran at Weavile with the flame on its mane engulfing its body.

"Dodge by using Quick Attack!" It dashed past the Fire Pokémon and jumped into the air. "Now, use Surf!" A huge surfing wave appeared under Weavile and dawned over Rapidash.

"Solar Beam!" It turned around and its horn began to absorb the sun's rays. Immediately, the Solar Beam destroyed the wave and sent Weavile falling. "Use Heat Wave!" A hot wind of fire was launched from its mouth and scorched Weavile.

"A super effective hit by Heat Wave!" The announcer said.

"You're still alright! Shadow Claw!" Weavile struggled and dived towards Rapidash with its right claw enveloped in a shadowy aura.

"It's over!" Jett said. "Rapidash, Megahorn!" With its horn glowing white, it jumped into the air and stabbed Weavile's chest. The Dark/Ice Pokémon fell and fainted when it hit the ground.

"WEAVILE, NOOOOO!" She screamed before the judge said, "Weavile is unable to battle! Rapidash wins! The victor of this battle is Jett from Drakus City!"

"There you have it, folks! Jett comes out the victor and moves on to the semifinals!" The announcer boomed as Elaine's picture disappeared on screen and Jett's picture rose to the center with 'Winner' under it.

Elaine sighed and walked into the field to check on her Pokémon. "Weavile, are you alright?" She held its head as she asked it.

"Wea..." It grunted, looking at its trainer and trying to smile.

"You were excellent. Take a good rest." The Pokémon disappeared into its ball with its body enveloped in red.

Jett returned Rapidash and left the field. Elaine looked back, feeling disappointed.

"_Don't worry, Elaine. It happens to everyone._" Davin thought.


	66. Chapter 66 - Rival Clash! Davin Vs Jett!

Elaine waited patiently in the waiting room for Nurse Joy to bring back her injured Pokémon. While sitting on the bench, Davin walked toward her.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine." she stated. "I guess I let my confidence get the best of me."

Davin sat down next to her. "You know... when I told you watch out for Jett, I didn't realize how much stronger he had gotten. All those times he told me he was ready, he really meant it."

She nodded. "Well... I may not have been able to beat him... but I still have hope that you can take him down!"

"What?" Davin blinked.

Elaine smiled. "I've seen how much you've progressed, and I think you could do better than I could." She stood up with a determined look on her face. "You can totally beat him! I'm sure of it!"

Davin smiled and stood up too. "You're right! There's no way Jett is going to surpass me. Not a chance!"

Suddenly, the emergency room light went out with a 'ding' and Nurse Joy walked out with her Chansey pulling a cart with Elaine's Pelipper, Graveler, and Victreebel on it. Her Weavile walked beside Nurse Joy while Chimecho and Glalie floated above her.

"Is everyone alright?" Elaine asked.

The nurse smiled and said, "Everyone's back to the way they were before. Their injuries weren't that major, so they were easy to treat."

"That's good." Elaine turned to her Pokémon. "Everyone... you all did very well." She put her hands together and bowed to them. "Thank you so much for your effort." All of her Pokémon had happy expressions on their faces as they nodded to her.

Davin smiled at the bond Elaine and her Pokémon shared until he heard the announcer say, "And with Michael's victory over Kevin, the quarterfinals come to a close!" He quickly rushed to the main lobby and viewed the screen. The final four trainers' pictures were shuffled on screen and, to Davin's minor surprise, his and Jett's pictures were paired together while Michael and Robin's, the girl who won in the second round of the quarterfinals, pictures were paired. "These will be the match ups for the semi-finals!"

Davin smiled. "Yes! Finally, Jett and I will battle for the title of Varex League champion!"

"Why get your hopes up?" Jett spoke from behind him. "You've seen how I defeated your friend, so what makes you think _you've_ got a chance?"

"Be quiet! We both know that I'm not the same weakling you thought I was!" Davin stated. "Now it's time to show you what I'm truly made of!"

"Which is nothing, but dirt!" Jett laughed as he exited. Davin looked back and glared at his upcoming opponent.

That night, Davin had another talk with his Pokémon, with Sander replacing Zapter, about tomorrow's battle. "All right, guys! When the sun rises, the second moment we've been waiting for will finally come! The day where we defeat Jett in the Varex League!" The Pokémon cheered with determination. "Now, remember: The battles you've guys have had with Jett before are nothing compared to what you'll face. Use the power that you've gained to defeat his Pokémon and get us to the finals!"

Bark: "Tile!"

Aduro: "Infernape!"

Socius: "Lucar!"

Hearth: "Mor-tar!"

Maximus: *Rawwwr!*

Sander: "Vibra!" Right then, Sander vibrated its wings and flew into the air.

"Sander, what is it?" Davin asked.

"Vi..." It said with a smile. Its body started to glow in the moonlit sky.

"Sander..." gasped Davin. "...is evolving..."

Sander's body grew different under the white light's envelopment and soon, a new Pokémon was in the air, flapping its wings with the stars shining behind it like diamonds. The boy was speechless as he looked it up.

"Flygon, the Mystic Pokémon, and the evolved form of Vibrava. It can whip up sandstorms with the powerful flap of its wings, giving it the nickname, 'The Desert Spirit' "

"Wow! What luck that you evolved right before our battle!" Davin cheered. "Now, I have even more confidence!"

"Fly, Flygon." Sander nodded.

* * *

The next morning, Davin and Jett made their way to the stadium and the crowd cheered as they entered.

"Ladies and gentleman, the semifinals of the Varex league tournament is about to start!" said the announcer. "It's Davin from Blazehill Town vs. Jett from Drakus City!" As the crowd cheered, the battlefield started to descend into the ground and a field of grass was its replacement. "In honor of the semifinals, the battle will take place on a grass battlefield."

Davin looked at Jett with a menacing stare while Jett looked at him with a cocky smile; Elaine was watching from the crowd.

The judge held up his flags. "All right! Commence the battle!"

"Poliwrath, I choose you!" Jett threw the Poké ball on the grass, making it open and release a Pokémon that looked like Poliwhirl, only with a meaner facial expression and bulkier muscles.

Davin's Pokédex: "Poliwrath, the Tadpole Pokémon, and the evolved form of Poliwhirl. With its extremely tough muscles, it can swim through oceans of great distances without resting. Though a skilled swimmer, it lives on dry land."

"Bark, let's go!" Davin threw his own Poké ball, releasing the green lizard out of it.

"Poliwrath, use Ice Beam!" A light blue sphere formed in the center of its body and it fired three beams towards the foe.

"Bark, dodge and use Energy Ball!" The beams hit the ground, freezing some of the grass, and Bark fired the green sphere from his mouth.

"Send it back with Double Slap!" Poliwrath extended its right hand and with one smack, the ball exploded upon Bark when it flew back at him.

"Poliwrath protects itself by using Sceptile's own attack against it!"

"Cute, but it's not enough!" Davin said. "Bark, Quick Attack!" He rocketed into Poliwrath with a clear shot to its body. However, it still looked ready to take more.

"Use Dynamic Punch!" A light blue aura surrounded Poliwrath's fist and it hit Bark on his left cheek.

The announcer stated, "Poliwrath takes revenge with a powerful Dynamic punch!"

After the hit, Bark started to move around in a dazed and unbalanced way. "What's going on?" Davin asked.

Jett chuckled. "If you had done your homework, you would know that Dynamic Punch confuses its opponent whenever it hits."

Davin frowned. "Bark, return!" The Grass Pokémon went back inside its ball and Davin threw a new one, releasing his Magmortar as Bark's substitute.

"A Fire type, eh? Poliwrath, use Hydro Pump!" A powerful blast of water shot from the center of its body.

"Hearth, Fire Blast!" The two attacks collided and during the explosion, Poliwrath's body became outlined in blue and it levitated into the air; Hearth was revealed to be using Psychic when the field was seeable.

"Since when did Hearth learn Psychic?" Jett exclaimed.

Davin just grinned. "Slam Poliwrath into the ground!" On that command, Poliwrath hit the ground in the blink of an eye.

The announcer stated, "Brilliant! Despite being a Water type, Poliwrath is also a Fighting type, making Psychic that more stronger!"

"Poliwrath, Hydro Pump once again!"

"Thunderbolt, let's go!" Jett gasped a 'What?' as Hearth's cannon replaced his right arm and a single shot of electricity hit Poliwrath directly. Davin ordered Hearth to finish it with Fire Punch and Poliwrath fainted upon receiving the hit.

"Poliwrath is unable to battle! Magmortar wins!"

Davin chuckled to himself. "I always come prepared with surprises."

"Clever." The bleach-haired boy said as he returned his Poliwrath. "But let's see how good you are against this guy!" A large hippo whose body color was dark yellow appeared on to the field after Jett threw the ball. Davin checked it for further details.

"Hippowdon, the Heavyweight Pokémon. It brandishes its gaping mouth in a display of fearsome strength, and it raises vast quantities of sand while attacking."

"Where does he _get_ these kinds of Pokémon?" Davin asked himself.

"Hippowdon, use Water Pulse!" He opened his massive mouth and shot a sphere of water.

"Send it back with Psychic!" The sphere quickly went back to its owner, making Jett say, "Swallow it whole!"

Davin's face went 'What the heck?' and once the sphere was inside its mouth, it closed it and gulped it down.

"Now, use Sand Tomb!" Sand poured from the holes on Hippowdon's back and Hearth was immediately surrounded, and blinded, by sand. "Stone Edge!" Chunks of rocks rotated around his body and Hippowdon fired them into the sand, which made contact with Hearth and knocked him out of it.

"Don't give up! Use Fire Blast!" Hearth tried to get up, but it quickly fell back down, knocked out.

"Magmortar is unable to battle! Hippowdon wins!"

"What? But how? Hearth should've been able to withstand that!" Davin said.

Jett chuckled. "You don't know anything, do you? Stone Edge has a high critical-hit ratio, making it possible for it to cause more damage than usual. That, plus the fact that Hearth is a Fire type, equals knockout!"

Davin gritted his teeth. "This can _not_ be happening!"


	67. Chapter 67 - Rise Of Intensity

"Bark, come out once more!" The Sceptile appeared on the field, after Davin returned Hearth, and the confusion from before had worn off. "Let's defeat it with one blow! Solar Beam!" Bark began charging energy as the seeds on his back started to absorb the sunlight.

"Hippowdon, use Ice Fang!" The hippo ran to Bark with his teeth glowing light blue.

"Dodge it!" Bark leaped into the air just after Hippowdon slammed into the ground. Now being closer to the sun, the seeds stopped collecting the sun's rays and a sphere of white energy formed in Bark's mouth. "Do it!" The white beam hit Hippowdon and the large Pokémon flew backwards across the grass.

"Now, use Energy Ball!" Hippowdon was hit in the center of his body by the orb of energy, then he landed on his back, revealing him to be knocked out.

"Hippowdon is unable to battle! Sceptile wins!"

"Yes! Way to go, Bark!" Davin cheered.

"Tile." He responded as if saying, 'It was nothing'.

Jett returned Hippowdon with a smile on his face. Davin's face went to a serious look as he thought, "I know that smile... Jett has something planned. Knowing him, it's probably a good one."

"Fearow, let's go!" Jett threw the Poké ball, letting out his brown feathered Flying Pokémon.

"Too risky. Return, Bark!" The Grass Pokémon was recalled into his ball as Davin picked out another one. "Sander, it's your time now!" The newly-evolved dragon Pokémon ascended to the sky as it appeared.

"What do you think about that, Jett? My Vibrava evolved." He bragged.

Jett scoffed. "What's that prove? It's probably still the same weakling it was when I battled it."

"See for yourself! Sander, use Rock Slide!" Its wings glowed white and rocks flew at Fearow as Sander flapped its wings.

"Fearow, use Agility!" The bird Pokémon dashed from one part of the field to the other, evading the rocks as they landed. "Follow with Drill Peck!" Fearow began to spin as it tucked in its wings and went towards Sander like a rotating dart.

"Face it head on with Dragon Claw!" Sander's claws glowed light green and it flew towards its foe.

Jett grinned. "Secret Power!" Fearow stopped spinning and unfolded its wings to tackle Sander with the Normal/Flying type's body glowing in a pink aura. The Flygon fell to the ground and it went to sleep.

Davin grunted. "Shoot! Since we're on a grass field, ever ytime Secret Power is used, my Pokémon will fall asleep. You're sneaky, Jett. _Really_ sneaky!"

Seeing his rival's frustration made Jett smile deviously. "All right, Fearow! Drill Peck!" Sander got hit in the center of its body, but its facial expression didn't change. "Keep using Drill Peck!" Five times in a row, the same thing repeated, with Sander sleeping and not looking as though it was in pain.

Soon, Sander woke up and rose into the air. "Finally! Sander, use Dragon Breath!"

"Dodge it!" Fearow quickly flew away from the blast of air.

"Yes!" Davin thought. "Dragon Claw!" Fearow got slashed on the side of its face by Sander and flew backwards into the grass.

"Come on, Fearow! Use Drill Peck!"

"Dragon Breath, let's go!" Sander released its attack, but Fearow penetrated it and kept going. Soon, it collided into Sander, causing an explosion. To both trainer's surprise, both Pokémon fell out of the smoke and landed on top of each other, unconscious.

"Both Fearow and Flygon are unable to battle! The match is a tie!"

Davin returned Sander. "You did awesome! Take a good rest."

Jett returned Fearow. "Good job. You did your best." Both stared at each other, with Jett saying, "I admit you've gotten better, but you're still lagging in your battle technique."

"The last thing I need is critique from you! You've outdid me in some battles in the past, but I won't afford to lose now!"

Both trainers threw a Poké ball at the same time, with Davin's pick being Socius and Jett's pick being Bibarel.

"Socius, Aura Sphere!"

"Bibarel, Hidden Power!"

The sphere and the multiple mini-circles collided. Bibarel leapt into the air over the smoke.

"Use Waterfall!" Bibarel's eyes glowed blue and was about to attack, until Socius burst from the smoke and sent him into the air with Sky Uppercut. Jett gasped as the Lucario went in for a second attack.

"Use Copycat!" Socius imitated Bibarel with the blue eye glow and a huge stream of water came out of its hands and sent Bibarel to the ground.

"Bibarel, Shock Wave!"

"Extreme Speed!" Socius dashed towards the ground, avoiding the blast of electricity, and slammed Bibarel into the surface. The beaver Pokémon lied there, unconscious.

"Bibarel is unable to battle! Lucario wins!"

"All right, Socius!" Davin cheered.

"Rah, Rio." It thanked its trainer.

Jett recalled the fallen Bibarel. "It's not over yet!" He threw his next Poké ball, releasing a Pokémon that looked like a big jumble of blue noodles.

_Davin's Pokédex_: "Tangrowth, the Vine Pokémon. It ensnares its prey by extending its arms made of vines. If cut, these vines can grow back right away."

"Well, I'm not scared of it! Socius, Aura Sphere!"

"Tangrowth, Vine Whip!" Two vines exposed themselves from the side of its body and constricted Socius, making it unable to move.

"Copycat!" Davin commanded. But Tangrowth flung Socius in the air before it could make a move.

"Power Whip!" Tangrowth's right arm extended into the air and slapped Socius across its face. "Follow up with Focus Blast!" A blue sphere formed in Tangrowth's hands and it tossed it at Socius. The explosive impact made Socius fall to the ground and lose consciousness.

"Lucario is unable to battle! Tangrowth wins!"

"You did your best." Davin said as he recalled it. "Okay. Since we're dealing with a Grass type, it's natural to go with a Fire type!" Davin's Infernape appeared on the field after its Poké ball was thrown. "Aduro, use Blaze Kick!"

"Stun Spore, Tangrowth!" An orange powder was released from its body and Aduro got down on its knee as soon as it inhaled it. "Now, Power Whip!" Like Socius, Aduro was slapped across its face. It tried to maintain its stamina, but the paralyzation wouldn't allow it to.

"Aduro, try using your Flare Blitz!" It gritted its teeth as it jumped, surrounded itself in fire, and propelled itself towards the Tangrowth.

"Stop it with Focus Blast!" Aduro skidded across the grass after the flung sphere canceled its attack.

"Hang in there!" Davin tried to encourage. Aduro couldn't manage to get on its feet and it only sat up.

"Now, constrict Infernape with Vine Whip!" The vines caught it and Tangrowth lifted it high into the air. "Focus Blast with everything you've got!" Tangrowth threw the sphere and after it hit Aduro, Tangrowth slammed it to the ground, causing a knockout.

"Infernape is unable to battle! Tangrowth wins!"

"Good work, Aduro. Return." The ape Pokémon went back to its ball.

Jett chuckled. "Why don't you just give up now? If you couldn't beat Tangrowth with a Fire type, what makes you think your other choices will make a difference?"

"Shut up! I'll let my Pokémon answer that for you!" Maximus appeared as Davin's next Pokémon. It stared down at the Tangrowth, which looked small due to Maximus' large size.

"We won't back down. Tangrowth, Stun Spore!"

"No, you don't! Sandstorm, Maximus!" The powder immediately disappeared upon contact with the wild sand. "Now use Crunch!" Maximus bit down and picked up Tangrowth in its mouth.

"Big mistake. Use Stun Spore again!" The powder paralyzed the Steelix and it dropped the Tangrowth from its mouth.

"No matter! Maximus, Flash Cannon!" Tangrowth was blasted off the ground as the silvery beam of light hit it. "Now, use Hyper Beam!" Tangrowth was hit once again by an orange blast from Maximus' mouth.

"Tangrowth, Focus Blast!" The sphere exploded on contact with Maximus' face; the Iron Snake Pokémon still remained strong.

Davin started to get annoyed with the Vine Pokémon. "I'm sick of having to deal with that thing! Maximus, let's finish Tangrowth off with a maximum powered Hyper Beam!"

Jett grunted. "Well, if that's how it is, then Tangrowth, use Focus Blast with maximum power as well!"

A huge explosion covered the whole field upon the two moves colliding. When the smoke had cleared, both Tangrowth and Maximus layed on their backs, knocked out.

"Tangrowth and Steelix are both unable to battle! The match is a tie!"

"And with that, each trainer is down to one Pokémon!" The announcer said after awakening from his nap. Apparently, he grew bored of having to announce and took a rest until the explosion from the collision woke him up.

Both trainers returned their Pokémon and held their final Poké ball in their hands. Both stared at each other in a look that had determination and hate.


	68. Chapter 68 - Decisive Finisher

"_This is it... my last Pokémon... and it's the one who's been with me from the beginning..._" Davin held the Poké ball close to his face. "_Please... don't fail me now..._"

"It's all come down to this. Davin, this'll be a loss you'll never forget!" Jett wore a mischievous grin.

"Bark, it's up to you!" Davin threw the Poké ball, releasing his Grass Pokémon companion.

"Typhlosion, let's do it!" Jett's star player was released as soon as the ball hit the ground.

Bark gave Typhlosion a determined smile, with the latter doing the same. This didn't surprise their trainers since the two Pokémon had known each other prior to the boys' first receiving them. Now, they were about to prove who has grown the strongest.

Davin had the first move. "Bark, use your Quick Attack!" Like a bullet, he ran at it.

Jett thrusted his palm forward. "Typhlosion, use Flamethrower!" As the flames came out, Bark dashed from side to side to avoid getting hit.

"Sceptile's amazing speed helps it dodge the Flamethrower!" said the announcer. Bark hit Typhlosion straight in its body, but the Fire Pokémon didn't flinch.

"Huh?" Davin gasped.

"Good luck getting past my Typhlosion's defense. Use Double Edge!" Typhlosion's body glowed gold and it tackled Bark while being engulfed in white light. After the attack, Typhlosion suffered from recoil damage as its body started to shake.

"A powerful hit! But Typhlosion suffered damage from the attack as well." stated the announcer.

Davin grunted. "Energy Ball! Go!" Bark fired the green sphere from his hands after it generated. When the ball was close enough, Typhlosion simply smacked it away with its left paw. "You're kidding!"

Jett chuckled to himself. "Now, Typhlosion, use Overheat!" The Pokémon's body turned dark red and it fired a huge blast of fire from its mouth.

"Get away, Bark! Hurry!" It was too late. The blast came so quickly, Bark couldn't even move a foot before he was hit.

"Overheat hits its mark! Sceptile is suffering major damage, being that it's a Grass Pokémon and that the first Overheat released is the strongest!"

Bark's body was covered in ashes as he tried to lift himself up "Bark, get up and use Solar Beam!" Immediately, the seeds on his back began to collect energy.

"Stop it with another Overheat!" With 20% less fire than before, Typhlosion launched the blast, with Bark rolling over and dodging it; soon, the glowing of the seeds deceased.

"Solar Beam, now!" The clear white beam shot itself at Typhlosion, who took it head on and tried to hold its ground as the force of the move pushed it back. "Come on, Bark! Push! You can do it!"

"Don't give in, Typhlosion! Not even the slightest inch!"

Bark strained himself to try and knock Typhlosion over, but the Volcano Pokémon proved to be a tough opponent to stop. After putting in excess power, an explosion covered the field.

"Whoa! That Solar Beam was given everything Sceptile had, yet Typhlosion is still standing." the announcer said.

Bark began to pant from the struggle. Typhlosion did the same after it used most of its strength to try and hold on.

In his mind, Jett thought, " _Bark's Solar Beam did more damage than I expected. Oh, well. Might as well wrap this up now._" He pointed towards the Sceptile. "Typhlosion, use Blast Burn!"

"B-Blast Burn?!" Davin stuttered. The flames on Typhlosion's back burned intensely and the grass field started to turn red hot.

"Oh, my! Here we go, ladies and gentleman! We're about to witness the ultimate Fire-type move!"

"Ty-PHLOOOOOOOOOOOO!" It shouted fiercely as raging flames erupted from the ground. Davin shielded his face with his arms to block the intense heat. To his and Bark's utter horror, a huge flame the size of a 700 cm wide circle erupted out of the ground, catching Bark in its titanic rise.

"SCEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPP!" he screamed in huge and beyond horrific pain. The burning hot flames covered his entire body, burning through with practically over 100,000 degrees; Davin could do nothing but gape in terror as he saw his Pokémon suffer.

Soon, the heat wave began to cool down and the raging fire deceased into the ground. The entire grass field was burnt to a crisp, every single blade of it black with ash. Bark's body lied in the center of it as if it were a corpse with every single bit of it burned.

Davin's eyes shook in disbelief and he lowered his head sadly. To his shock, Bark began to get up very slowly; his eyes showed exasperation as he tried to move.

"Bark..." Davin whispered as he saw him manage to stand on one knee.

"Unbelievable! Even after taking that powerful fire attack, Sceptile still doesn't want to give up! What spirit!" The announcer shouted.

Jett looked just as surprise as Davin did, along with Typhlosion. "How? Blast Burn should have taken it down. How can it still stand?"

Back at the lab in Blazehill Town, Professor Cypress was watching the battle and she smiled at what was happening. "That's Bark for you: Always stubborn and never gives up until it's over."

Davin stared at the ash covered Pokémon and he suddenly grinned. "I get it. If you're willing to go on, than so am I!" Davin pointed forward. "Bark, it's time for our _own_ ultimate move! Use Frenzy Plant!"

"No way! You can't be serious!" Jett shouted.

Bark showed his teeth and his body became outlined in green. Giant roots with spikes came up from the ground and lashed towards Typhlosion. Each root hit Typhlosion across its face, body, and back, one by one.

"Typhlosion is taking a serious beating! Since it used Blast Burn, it is unable to move and now its suffering the consequences!"

"No! Typhlosion!" It was knocked to the ground before the roots disappeared into the burned grass.

"Ha! What do you think about that, Jett?" Davin shouted in joy.

Jett stifled a laugh, which turned into laughing out loud, to Davin's surprise. Typhlosion stood to its feet and grinned at Bark evilly. "Despite being different types, Frenzy Plant is just like Blast Burn! Now, it's our turn to make an easy strike!"

"OH NO!" Davin exclaimed.

"Oh yes! Say goodbye to the finals, Davy! Typhlosion, full power Overheat!" Typhlosion opened its mouth and released the orange-yellow spiraling flame. It enveloped Bark with its burning flames as the Grass Pokémon shouted in agony.

"Bark! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOO!"

Bark slowly fell on its back and didn't get up. His mouth hung open as his eyes were closed shut.

The judge raised his right flag. "Sceptile is unable to battle! Typhlosion wins! The victor of this battle is Jett from Drakus City!" The crowd cheered as Davin's picture disappeared from the screen and Jett's picture moved to the center with 'Winner!' underneath it.

"After a close battle, Jett emerges victorious!" the announcer boomed.

Davin stared at the large screen for a few seconds and sighed. He walked to his 'scorched to death' Pokémon and held its body up.

"Bark... are you alright?" The boy whispered.

He opened his eyes and uttered, "Scep... tile..."

Davin put a smile on his face as he said softly, "Well... we lost. Guess we'll have to wait until next year, huh?"

"...Scep..." Bark turned his head to the side as his eyes started to fill with tears; he really wanted his trainer to win.

"Hey. There's no need for that. You worked hard. You should be happy that you tried more than your hardest."

Bark couldn't bear it. He started to whimper as the tears started to rain down.

"Oh, Bark..." Davin wrapped his arms around his friend. Bark did the same as he started to sob lightly.


	69. Chapter 69 - A Time & Place Worth Being

Davin tapped his fingers against the chair in the waiting room as he thought about his lost. "_I don't understand... I worked hard... I trained properly... what could I have been doing wrong that made me lose the way I did?_"

While he was thinking, Elaine walked toward him. "You feeling okay?"

"I guess." He said. "I just can't believe that I lost. How could Jett get ahead of me?"

"Because you've got a lot to learn." Jett spoke as he walked to them. "Davin, you're strong, I can say that. But even so, you're battle style was a bit out of course than how you usually battled in the past."

"I guess the fact that I was against you may have been why." Davin laughed a bit.

Jett extended his hand to him. "You were pretty good back there. To be honest, I'm kind of happy about how much you've changed since you started your journey. You've gotten... cooler than before."

Davin stared at Jett for a minute, surprised that his rival had acknowledged his skills as a trainer and as a person. He stood and placed his hand in Jett's, having a smile on his face. "Thanks. I'll be cheering for you in the finals."

Right then, Nurse Joy came into the room with all of his Pokémon walking beside her, with the exception of Sander who flew beside her. "I'm happy to report that all of your Pokémon are fully recovered."

Davin breathed a sigh of relief. "So, you all are okay?" The Pokémon nodded. "That's good." He sighed again. "Listen, guys... I want to apologize. Even though you all worked hard, it's my fault that we lost. Obviously, I still need to work on being a better trainer."

The Pokémon lowered their heads.

* * *

The next day, Davin and Elaine watched the final round. Jett was facing off against Micheal, who had won against Robin in the second semifinal round, and both were down to their last Pokémon; Jett had Typhlosion while Micheal had Electivire. Both Pokémon were exhausted and could only survive a few more attacks.

"Typhlosion, use Overheat!"

"Electivire, use Thunder!" Both moves exploded on impact, and Electivire surprised Typhlosion with a quick Thunder Punch to its face.

"The battle's getting intense! How long will these fierce fighters last with each of their powerful moves?" The announcer commented.

"Use Double Edge, now!" Typhlosion came in full speed towards the Electric Pokémon.

"Giga Impact!" Yellow-orange streaks surrounded Electivire's body as it ran at Typhlosion. Its body than became shrouded in a purple aura.

They collided with each other, but Typhlosion was no match for Giga Impact's power and it flew backwards against the field, having fainted after hitting the ground.

The judge raised his left flag. "Typhlosion is unable to battle! Electivire wins! The victor is Micheal!"

Jett's picture disappeared from the screen with Micheal's picture moving to the center with the word, 'Congratulations!' underneath it. "And the winner of the Varex League tournament is Micheal from Balavur Town!"

The crowd went nuts for Micheal as the loud cheers could be heard from a distance. Jett looked completely stunned for a moment, but eased out a smile as he walked to his Pokémon.

"Hey, pal. You okay?" He asked in a sympathetic tone.

"Ty..." The Fire Pokémon spoke sadly.

Jett laughed a bit and said, "Don't worry. There are plenty of other leagues out there. We can't let our lost here keep us from achieving our goal, can we?"

Typhlosion was silent for a moment until it smiled and nodded. "Typhlo!"

Jett smiled as he rubbed its back. "That's my partner."

In the crowd, Davin frowned at what he witnessed. "I can't believe this. After all he went through, he still lost."

"Guess you aren't the only one who has something to learn." Elaine said.

That night, all the trainers gathered in the stadium to congratulate the new champion. Micheal was handed a gold trophy with a Poké ball on top of it.

"With a new champion being chosen, the Varex League draws to a close!" The announcer stated. Fireworks were shot in the air as everyone clapped for Micheal.

"What a great tournament it's been." Elaine said.

"Yeah." Jett agreed. "This is a moment I'll never forget."

Davin nodded. "Same here. I'm glad I was able to participate in it."

More fireworks were launched into the night sky as the moment sank into all of the trainers' hearts. This was truly an excellent tournament.

* * *

The next morning, ships had arrived at the port docks to take the trainers home. Davin, Elaine and Jett were packed up and ready to leave.

"So, where are you guys headed?" Elaine asked.

"I'm heading back to Drakus City to plan which league I'm going to challenge next." Jett answered.

"Same here, only I'm going back to Blazehill Town." Davin said.

"Well... I hope we meet again someday." Elaine smiled. The two boys nodded and they all boarded the ship that would take them to their destinations.

Davin looked back at the Varex League stadium as it got farther away from his sight.

"Goodbye, Varex League... Hello to a new goal!"


	70. Chapter 70 - The Shining Road Continues

"The clock is at 2 minutes!" Adrian, the Pokémon contest M.C., announced on the television. "Both coordinators are giving their all in this battle for the Ribbon Cup!"

Davin was watching the Grand Festival on T.V. from Professor Cypress's laboratory to see if Leyna was going to win it. He had arrived in Blazehill Town a day ago and was staying with the professor for a little while to learn more about Pokémon.

On the television, Leyna was using her Rhyperior and Golbat to face off against a female coordinator named Maly, who used Golduck and Clefairy.

"Rhyperior, use Rock Wrecker! Golbat, use Air Cutter!" A huge rock formed in Rhyperior's hands and it threw it at its foes while Golbat released 'S' shaped wind blades from its wings.

Maly smirked. "Golduck, stop them with Psychic!" The blue duck's eyes glowed and the attacks stopped in mid-air. Golduck pointed towards the opposite Pokémon and they were hit by their own moves; Leyna's bar on screen decreased in color.

"Clefairy, use Metronome!" The pink Pokémon waved its fingers back and forth as they glowed with white light.

"Uh oh. When Metronome is used, there's no telling what move will come out." Adrian stated.

Soon, the light from Clefairy's fingers faded and its body glowed white. A huge explosion spread out through the whole stage, catching Golbat and Rhyperior with it.

Leyna was shocked by this. "Rhyperior! Golbat!" Both Pokémon laid unconscious as the judges' monitors showed an 'X'.

"And that's it! The winner of the Varex Grand Festival is... Maly!" Confetti rained down on to the stage as the whole arena filled with cheers. Leyna looked devastated at first, but she put a smile on her face and kneeled down to her Pokémon.

"You were great, Rhyperior. Golbat." She said.

Davin frowned upon this and as a result, turned off the television.

* * *

"Oh. I'm sorry you lost, Davin. That must've been rough." Leyna said over the videophone. A few minutes after the battle, Davin had called her to see how she was doing.

"Eh, it's nothing." he shrugged. "I just let time pass by and start over again to get stronger. You should do the same with your loss."

She nodded. "I will. No way am I going to stop here! I'm aiming to be Top Coordinator and that's _**just**_ what i'm going to be!"

Davin pumped his fist in the air. "That's the spirit! Work hard and always do your best!"

After chatting about other random things, they said goodbye and hung up. Professor Cypress walked into the room. "So, how's your friend?"

"She's gonna be okay! In fact, her spirits are more higher than ever." Davin smiled in positivity. "By the way, how are my Pokémon doing?"

"Go see for yourself." She said as she gestured to the outside. When Davin exited through the back door of the lab, a huge field that was surrounded with wooden fences could be seen. Tons of different Pokémon were running around and playing, enjoying the fresh air.

Davin turned towards the professor. "I still can't believe you use this field as a preserve for the Pokémon that are sent to you from trainers."

"Well, being cooped up in a Poké ball all day can get pretty boring, so I thought, 'Why not give the Pokémon a place where they can relax and have fun?' "

Davin nodded in agreement and joined the Pokémon in the field. As he entered, he could see Bark relaxing under a tree, Aduro jumping from one tree to the other, Socius and Hearth practicing their moves on training dummies, Maximus basking in the sunlight, Sander soaring through the sky, and Zapter gathering electricity from lamp posts that the professor put in.

"Wow. Everyone looks so peaceful." Davin sighed. "This must feel like paradise when they're out here."

"You can say that again." said the professor. "Despite being hard workers and tough battlers, Pokémon deserve a chance to have a break and just unwind in the cool weather."

Davin took these words into his mind and stood silent for a moment as he gazed at the Pokémon. He then turned to her and asked, "Professor, didn't you tell me that you got Bark from a different region?"

She nodded. "That's right. The Hoenn region. There, Treecko, along with two other Pokémon, are starter Pokémon for new trainers."

"So, what's Hoenn like? Is it an interesting place?"

"It's very interesting. Lots of Pokémon, beautiful sites, and possibly even some mystery."

Davin stood silent again and collected his thoughts together. Soon, he smiled and turned to the professor. "Professor Cypress... I'm going to the Hoenn region!"

She simply chuckled. "I had a feeling you'd say that. And Hoenn is one of the best regions to journey, I've heard." After Davin nodded, she asked, "So which Pokémon are you bringing with you?"

"None." He stated with a smile. The professor blinked a few times in confusion and Davin explained. "You see, after I lost in the Varex League, I discovered that there was a slight flaw in my training style and the way I raised my Pokémon. I figured if I start fresh again, I can try a different training method with the new Pokémon I'll obtain and try to win the next Pokémon League!"

Understanding, she nodded. "Sounds like a perfect plan to me."

* * *

Early the next morning, Davin had packed the necessary things he needed and was already at the port to take him to Hoenn.

"This is so exciting; a new land, a new adventure and a new start!"

"Scep!" Davin heard. He turned to his right and saw all of his Pokémon running toward him. "What the-?" He said in confusion. "What are you all doing here?"

"Scep. Scep, Sceptile!" Bark said as he motioned his hands toward him and the others.

Davin smiled knowingly. "I'm sorry, guys, but you can't come." Their mouths dropped in horror of the words. "Guys, you've worked hard non-stop these past months. You all deserve some time to relax for all the effort you gave. Think of it as my thank you for... everything you've done for me."

They all frowned just as the boat had arrived. "Well... this is where I go."

In a rush, all of the Pokémon clung on to him, making them all fall to the ground. Laughing, Davin said, "Guys, it's not like i'm going away forever. I'll be back before you know it."

Getting up from beneath Hearth, Davin made his way on to the boat and it sailed north into the sea. At first, they all looked sad as their trainer was getting further and further away, but soon, they all broke out in smiles and waved goodbye. Seeing this, Davin put his hand in the air and waved too.

"Don't worry! I'll be back! Everything is okay!"

The boat continued to sail, towards the new start of Davin's journey to become Pokémon Master!


End file.
